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LAVISH PLUS
WASTAGE
Most
of us have no choice but to cut corners in
spending money. The first priority is on food. I
can't do home cooking. The time and other chores
do not permit me. Buying food involve high
expenditure. Then the spending follows by
the necessities. What were once luxury have
become necessities today, for instant a car.
There is a wide range of cars we can choose, the
cheapest is about RM25K. The expensive is RM1
million. The mid range is between 60 - 100K. I
call it lavish to spend on car above RM50K when
there is a cheap car around. Lavish spending is
the expenditure on things that are not vital for
us. But if you have the money and 1 million is
nothing to you then by all mean spend in
whatever way you like.
What
is wastage ? It is the spending that is more
than the cost or the price. You buy a ply of
door for 100 ringgit, the government buys the
same door for 800 ringgit, then the amount of
wastage is RM700. And the worst is money paid
for the non-existing projects. When it involve
billions of ringgit the immense wastage is really
liability to us. Mind you it is tenth and
hundredth of billions.
If
we follow the trail of wastage the most come
from the procurement department. Products bought
were not only too expensive but also of of low
quality. This happen to heavy machineries bought
either from China or India. And the same thing
happen to the purchasing of Scorpene, military
hardware and even the items used for general
election.
The
long list of wastage is very scary and
abominable. The people
have to bear for the rapacity, the corruptions
and kickbacks.
Some
people spend out of anticipation. I don't have
enough money now but I anticipate a large bonus
from my company. So I borrow to spend. Spending
more than our income in anticipation of future
bonus or profit could be a big gamble. Some of
us might still remember how we lost billions of
dollars on forex when we bought American
currencies expecting for the future profit.
Seeing money in your coffer you may start
thinking how to use that money. Seeing public
money in the coffer you may start thinking how
to take the money for your own benefit. Then you
will come up with projects. You call them
developmental projects to eyewash and getting
the approval for your greed. What cost a dollar,
you charge hundred dollars.
The
implication of the spending draws the money away
from other important commitments, and throwing
the burden on the people.
When
the pocket is empty we either beg, borrow or
steal. The principle is simple. Make law and
take from people. We don't have to pay Idris
Jala to tell Najib that principle. It is not a
talent to injure the people and to draw new
ordinance to repress the public.
The
audit has given ample but not totally complete
and true report of the wastage and spending. It
has to be approved by the government before the
public is informed about it. There had been no
mention of the unequal agreement to benefit the
crony companies.
As
far as the government is concern the
departmental expenditure is more of a wastage
rather of it's lavishness. The lavishness is
more on personal and individual spending. It is
not only confined to the wealthy and the
powerful, it is also the taste of the normal
man. A factory worker can own a car and a
motorbike and cools his house by air
conditioning machine. A school clerk buys
a 50K car instead of a 25K vehicle. They spend
on wedding ceremonies and a gallant life style.
When
the government's coffer is approaching emptiness
it raise rates and taxes and device ways to draw
money from the public. When the government
servants found their money is diminishing they
pressed for higher salaries. And the factory
workers consult the union for collective
bargaining.
The
jobless with families to feed even cutting
corners has difficulties to make the ends meet.
They can't afford a wastage and lavishness. Yet
they have to struggle with the continuing price
hike. A laborer and the garbage collector with
RM900 salary somehow have to have a motorbike to
go to work, and a mean of transportation to the
whole family.
If
the government were to spend wisely and
prudently, not giving free public fund to
cronies for nothing, not wasting in purchase and
construction there won't be spill over of the
hardship onto the poor people. It is the
insatiable lust for money and power that turn
them into demons. The lust will be infinite. The
wastage will not end until the populace wake up
from their sleep and intoxication. They must not
let themselves be drugged by BRM500 or fear of
Chinese dominance.
UMNO
does not want Malaysian unity. Malaysian unity
can end it's dominance and arrogance. Corrupt
leaders fear being imprisoned. Lavish wives
could face identical fate to Ghadafi. Those have
been happenings in some of the countries. The
world is patiently observing the fate of Syrian
leader Assad.
Opposition leaders do not promise revenge. Their
magnanimousness might not be shared by the mob.
But
I feel the greed can never stop because they
feel they are invincible, even gods cannot harm
them.
06/09/2013
- Abdul Rahman Raof |
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CAN
THE GOVERNMENT CONTROL HOUSE PRICE ?
Record shows our government cannot control
inflation, including the pending 10%
increase in house price. Any stringent
control will lead to shortages. Businessmen
know their ways how to wriggle through to
escape persecution. No matter what action
taken by the government prices of control
items kept on climbing. What we used to buy
a dollar for a catty is now ten dollars for
a kilo.
There will be no hoarding for the building
materials. There will be no import of
the production will slow down. Government
direct purchase won't bring the price down
either because the purchase price will be
inflated to a new level. The network of
business community had formed like a blood
brotherhood.
Mahathir projected only 5% inflation. Prices
are not controlled by him, not even by the
economists. It is a factor of opportunity
and greed. A salesman may hike a price of a
certain goods. He takes a chance. Would you
report it ? 100 people going to mechanic all
paid for the price charged. They said they
are paying more for the building rental,
food and the spare parts. In short they have
a thousand and one excuses.
The Malay contractors would find it a good
opportunity for housing projects, promising
the government they could build cheaper
houses. Past experiences show the
contractors that offer the cheapest price in
the tender ended up either in raising prices
or simply went missing.
Remember the 5% projected by Mahathir is not
on one item. The multiple of 5% on 10 items
is 50%. The economist may tell us 5% means
5%. You buy less or more you will need to
pay only 5% more. Actually the more you buy
the more you pay.
Even if it is a real 5%. 5% for a 140K is
7.5 K. RM7500 more is not a 20 cents
increase. Many UMNO goons are yelling why
bother only 20 cent increase.
We are about to watch the battle between the
government and the developers.
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PURCHASING POWER OF MONEY
The value of a
currency expressed in terms of the
amount of goods or services that one
unit of money can buy. If in the
yester years you hire a labor to clean
your house compound and he charged you
RM15 and today he wants RM50. It means
the purchasing power of your money has
declined.
The purchasing
power of money depends also on the the
amount of money in circulation. As the
volume increase the power decrease. The
rapid increase of currencies do not
match the increase of goods and
commodities. It is one reason for the
price hike; too much money chasing for a
few goods.
Hence the ringgit
shrinks. A ringgit in 1900 for instant
may equals to 2 ringgit in 1930, 3
ringgit in 1940, 10 ringgit in 1990.
Simply printing notes as much as the
government likes would cause the decline
of money value. Within these few years
the increase in salaries, the giving out
of cash without corresponding amount of
work or production and the gasoline
price had contributed to the downwards
flung in the currency value.
Government
servants and workers in the firms
belonging to cronies may not feel the
pinch. Pensioners, the low income group,
the odd job workers and other blue
collar workers have to bear the pain.
The economic
situations in USA is getting worse.
People are losing their homes, migrate
to Canada, jobless and millions are
leaving on free food and welfare. They
blame the banks, the Wall Street and
Goldman Sachs. Billions were sent to
Israel every year, while the fellow
Americans are hunting for free food.
Are we heading
that way ?
07/09/2013
|
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HOUSE PRICE UP 10%
Do you know
what is a multiplier effect of money ? The simple
explanation is as follows. If you have 2 ringgit
and you a good for 1.50. Basically the money in
circulation is 3.50. Then the person buys something else
which cost 1.00 ringgit. The total in circulation is
4.50.
Akin to it
but different in term is spill-over. The increase in
gasoline by 20 cents would spill over to other goods,
commodities and services. The inevitable increase in
prices are due to the increasing cost of transportation.
It is the consumers who have to pay for them.
You don't
buy only one item for the whole month. Say you take a
car to a mechanic; first you have to pay more for each
of the parts changed. Then you have to pay for the
increase service charge. Te total spill-over you have to
incur will be big, upsetting the amount Najib is trying
to appease you. The RM500 received is not even an atom
of what you have to pay for the rest of your life.
What is 10%
increase of a RM140K terrace house ? It is not 20 cent.
It is RM14K. You give a mandate to Najib to command for
the price hike. It is a pity that you choose to stay a
blind slave.
05/09/2013 - Abdul
Rahman Raof |
PHD
in USA
I would salute
a PHD holder from USA universities. To qualify for a PHD
program a student must first pass the Qualifying Test.
The test covers the over all knowledge of arts,
sciences, sports, politics, current affairs and other
general knowledge. Less than 25% would pass and qualify
at every test.
In Malaysia or
United Kingdom one does not have to sit for any test to
qualify for a PHD. Just write a book or a complete work
on something new can earn a person a PHD.
A plain man
like us do not need those paper qualification. But a
wide range of knowledge could make us a rounded person.
We can adapt ourselves to various environments and when
we talk of some foreign topics we won't make fools of
ourselves.
High academic
and professional qualifications are to be used wisely
for the good of mankind. Unfortunately things do not go
that way. Clever people make bullets and bombs, chemical
weapons and drones. Some smart brain used their ability
to outwit the people, cheat the government and the
general public to satisfy their own greed.
Nevertheless if
you are given the opportunity to do your PHD would you
choose USA or Great Britain ?
05/08/2013 |
PEOPLE GO HUNGRY IN USA
There was a
time when we perceive Europeans and Americans are all
wealthy, with a high standard of living. My frequent
visit to this great nation earned me some conclusive
observations. Today Americans are not composed of
entirely Anglo-Saxon race, the generation of the
Puritans. There were Mexicans, Spanish, Polish, Germans,
Russians, Chinese, Vietnamese, Koreans, Arabs and a
great number of Israel Jews.
The Chinese
and Koreans are getting momentum, running shops and
super stores. The Indians and Pakistanis run motels.
Beggars and
prostitutes are everywhere. Young and handsome men would
approach us for a quarter, young couples begged for
meals and the homeless too would whisper for the same
amount.
I am of the
opinion that the non-White Anglo Saxon are economically
better off. The Chinese and the Thais make their
fortunes in restaurants. You need to book at least a day
in advance for your meal.
Yahoo has a
short write up on the poverty and hunger in America.
Click here to
read more about it.
05/09/2013 |
SICK
PEOPLE DEFEND SICK POLICIES
With the
demise of religious morality people no longer recognize
colors and good and bad, right and wrong. They condoned
robbery and corruption, praise the policies that injured
the citizens. And yelled at those who oppose higher
taxation and prices. Yet has to come is the legalization
of drugs and same sex marriage. |
THE
BATTLE OF WITS
The
screening of Tanda Putera and the threatening action to
the cinema owners did not show any aggressive challenge.
Neither did the DAP leaders put any pressure on the
screening. But the response was there. The cinema was
empty.
But the goal
of Tanda Putera is to instill the distrust and racial
hatred among the Malays towards the Chinese. So they
will take the movies everywhere where the Malays are
dominant.
I don't
expect the Chinese and those Malays who are unhappy with
UMNO to submit and remain passive. First they would
avoid PETRON. And other unseen attacks will soon
followed. It will be like 'api dalam sekam', the eddy
below the water.
My only hope
is in any subsequent attack by the Chinese will not fall
on all the Malays except the UMNO supporters.
From the
beginning the Chinese use their brain and the brawn to
survive without the help of the government. They have
resilience, strength and power. On the other hand the
Malays have long been pampered and they need people to
do the thinking and decision for them. |
Their
thinking is low. Their have a myopic vision .
From my own
observations I found the Chinese have gained ground in
many ways. I would never think Tanda Putera would
resolve what UMNO is aiming to do.
How long and
how much money does UMNO think they can keep the Malays
with them ?
We have to
wait and see the number of Malays who will sway to
the Chinese and prefer the Chinese to lead them.
Already we
are seeing the increasing number of the Malay parents
send their kids to Chinese schools.
I don't
think it is wise for UMNO to push anybody to the brim of
the abyss. Who in the world will allow themselves being
kicked and slapped like animals ? If they can't fight
with their muscles they will fight with their brain.
The very
idea of reconciliation is smashed to the ground, buried
deep in the mud. Tanda Putera is not a reconciliation.
It is a bacteria injected to spread the hatred disease.
You create a
battle ground you can expect the battle to take place.
Brains work. The smarter wins.
05/09/2013 |
This evening
at the Pasar Malam I was told the price of chickens have
come up. Yesterday the Mamak shop showed me a bill of
his purchase increased from RM45 to RM60. More will be
coming.
No people
with the right kind of mind would celebrate with joy at
the pending inflation that will pinch everybody else.
And they further told the people to thank God for the
small raise in petroleum price.
And no
people with the right mind set would be happy with the
high premium rate for the small old car, which is higher
than the new big car. And these people do. And the
insurance company is sucking up people.
They love
the AES, said OK for PKZ and Perwaja and Sxorpene
wastage and other expanses paid to cronies for nothing,
and that involve millions and billions of ringgit.
I notices
those who campaigned for UMNO on the FB continue to
condemn those who disagree with the price hike. These
people must be really sick. Some of their statements
indicated that they do not possess any religious
morality at all. |
At
time it crosses my mind that the Chinese are so much
better than the Malays who showed no respect towards the
fasting month ( I talked about the Karaoke during the
month of Ramadzan before).
The show of
Tanda Putera is in 2013, not during the long era of
Mahathir, has a hidden agenda. " Why go against NFC and
projects to make the Malays wealthy ? We are better than
the DAP. " It is a long term defense plan to continually
doing injustice and misappropriation of funds, with the
support of the Malays. Mahathir didn't have to seek the
help of Tanda Putera to discredit the Chinese.
Simply, some
people like to see other people suffer. They get every
pleasure out of it. Look at their statements in the FB
and their blogs.
Sadists are
sick people. No wonder they support and condone sick
policies. The funny thing is that they yell at others.
Last time we
took Jews to advise us. Now do we change the Jews with
the Christians ?
04/09/2013 |
MENTAL DECAY
My
Professor, Khoo Kay Kim, said that one must think at
least once a day. I realized that I was much mentally
alert 20 years ago than it is now. I assessed myself by
looking back at my computer algorithm. I have to think
again why I wrote such lines, the purpose I found it
hard to remember.
When my
mind was able to imagine and mapped complex and
complicated algorithm then, today the old valor cease to
exist. I know the deterioration is very rapid. I even
forget names of people and friends.
Ageing is
catching fast. But life has to go on. I need to keep the
brain cells working by thinking and analyzing events. I
exercised myself once a day, believing healthy mind is
in the healthy body.
Thinking
involves looking at the trend, the dynamic of events
from the past to the present to see the pattern of
behavior. Hence I would predict the future. It would
have been better if the data was gathered and
documented. It also needs a lot of imagination.
To keep
up with order I told myself to do a thing a time. It is
a little slow but I don't miss anything. When I came
home from the dialysis center, I would first open my
house door leaving the rest in my car. Then I took
whatever things I might have bought like the dinner for
my wife, and leaving my wife until I have placed the
food on the table. And finally I would take my wife
inside the house. And I took my own sweet time to do
each task at a time.
I talked
to a friend about forgetfulness. He suffers from the
same disease, the sign of mental decay.
People
are making money selling supplements. I used to buy
Ginko for the brain. I don't need to be smart as a
layman. I don't need a brain to flip flop like the
politician. I don't have to think how to deceive people
to stay in power. Go to hell with Ginko. It saves my
money a little.
My
looking at Mahathir and Lee Kuan Yew is the same as what
the younger people are looking at me. "Those old men are
senile. They talk shit all the time."
They say
when the Dajjal arrived one could ask for anything. The
Dajjal would honor his promise as long as you vow and
obey him. That will the chance for the old folks to
request for vitality, vigorousity and lust like the
young men. People will vow and prostrate for longevity,
money and good health.
But
decayed minds seldom harm people. They lack venom and
won't spit " tax the people ".
Decayed
minds sit in decayed faces, with wrinkled foreheads and
eyelids, face bones protruding and with the probable
dark pigments on the cheeks. The grave is seconds away.
04/09/2013 - Abdul
Rahman Raof
|
AT
THE FIRST THAI SEANET
At the
time when Thailand hosted it's first SEANET convention
Ham Radio was not yet legal in the country. Yet there
were a few persons closed to a Colonel who run factory
for the Thai military hardware having the HS call signs.
It was the big occasion for the Thais because it was the
day Ham Radio was declared to be legal.
The
contingent from Malaysia was one of the biggest from
outside Thailand. Several army personnel running 9M2MT
club station, Loke ( 9M2AP ), Eshee ( 9M2FK ), Chow (
9M2CF ), me and SWL Lim ( now 9M2LC ) and a few others
joined up to take a train to Bangkok. We did not
stay at the convention hotel as it was a little
expensive.
We met
friends who we always talked to. I remember Cheppy was
there and a few Karen hams. Mas Henro YB2CR was with his
wife.
One of
the attendees was the man who made OSCAR satellite, a
Japanese with purely American slang. We gathered around
him to appreciate his rapid sending and copying high
speed CW with his ears. That was really a marvelous man. At
that time I could not read CW at that speed at all.
I could
not imagine how God created a man of sciences, who
design and build satellite, mastering foreign
language and very skillful in Morse Codes.
The
reminiscence of this great man loom as I heard an
immense bragging out of the local hams trying to portray
their expertise, greatness and super-ego.
To me it
was the first SEANET. The Opening ceremony was gallant
and grand, glowed by the beautiful and gorgeous Thai girls. When the
Head of the Thai Telecom declared that Ham Radio was a
legal entity the celebration was very jubilant.
Lim, in
the lucky draw, won an ATLAS transceiver. He had yet to
pass his CW before he could make use of the rig.
I don't
remember the day of the Idil Adha. But I, Yaacob, Dhalan,
Cheppy and a few others were taken to the Muslim village
by two Thai Muslim young girls. We went for our prayer
and visited a few houses.
Aidil
Adha in Bangkok was also glamorous and colorful. There
were waves of visitors going from house to house,
reciting a short surah and move to the next house. There
was no TV on. Only the Koran recitations were heard.
The
experience was fulfilling.
The fun
and excitement of hamming had been great. To me that was
one of the best SEANET I ever experience. I don't know
what happen to the Japanese scientist now. Probably he
is still around.
04/09/2013 - Abdul
Rahman Raof |
THE
STYLE OF OUR OLD FOLKS
I am not
saying what the old hams practiced was right. Neither
would I say we have to emulate them.
Groups
meet. Sometimes there were more than 3 groups. This
happened usually on Sunday because the crowd was big on
the weekend. I don't belong to any particular clan. If I
need to talk to Chow and Chong I would go to the Penang
group.
Our group
communication differ from the Indonesians, not because
we were right and they were wrong. It had been our
tradition having the round table style. If there were 4
persons, A will pass to B, B to C, C to D and D back to
A. If on the course of the chat E broke in and A was
talking, A would pass to the new comer. E would pass the
turn to C. The circle went on but the labels changed,
and the the sequence follows.
If one of
them decided to sign off and he passed the transmission
to the next person. The next person just wish him good
luck and subsequently everyone would wish him before the
normal chat resumed.
Surely
this is different from the Indonesians.
Every
passing of a transmission mentioned both call signs.
This is vital because we were in a group. The ding-dong,
back and force, without mentioning the call sign has
never happen in a group. It won't be awkward if only two
persons were in contact.
Even then
it was rare for the ding-dong, no mention of the call
signs, to take place. Out of 100 passing back more than
80 times the call signs were mentioned.
May be
ham radio was regarded as a grand hobby, created by the
degree of difficulty to qualify for the ticket. Morse
codes were the pride then. To maintain the grandiose and
glamour, it had to have characters differ from other
radio services and hobbies. Pirate and CB languages and
styles were regarded as the lowest grade.
The
intelligent used of the PTT was to allow people or our
counterpart to break in. The PTT was pressed as our
vocal chords sent our voice out, and released when we
stopped talking. I don't know whether this is Malaysians
or International. I saw Eshee and Idris doing it, and I
followed them. Eventually everyone came to know how to
use the PTT.
It was on
Sunday when we went on CW for a short practice, not on
frequency below 7.030 but at any empty frequency below
7.1. 9M2CF and 9M2CW and 9M2FK were the masters and the
most regular.
As far as
I can remember all communications were in English even
among the Malay hams. We sat the test in English. They
were essay types. Amateur Radio was regarded as an
international activities. That was the old culture. BUT
old does not mean better.
04/09/2013 - Abdul
Rahman Raof |
THE INTELLIGENT
MINDS
Who did not know Edison, the great inventor ?
Who are we to compare with such a masterly minded
man. The intelligent surpassed ours and Edison
goes into history. Yet years later we know how
he downplayed Nikolai Tesla and cheated the poor
Nikolai, belittled the young man's ability . But today we know it was Tesla who is
far greater than Edison. From the AC current to
the current fearful HAARP the intelligent of
Nikolai Tesla was beyond comparison. He supersede the DC current Edison.
Another case of the conflict of intelligent
minds were when Marconi was trying to send radio
signal from one continent to another. One group
of the intelligent people duped it as an
impossible task as the earth surface is not flat
but in curvature. Last but not least the labor
of Wright Brothers were criticized by the
Physicists saying the density of the plane is
higher than that of the air. There was no way
the plane could float in the air.
We also know that Singapore practice
meritocracy. Only the intelligent people are fit
to rule. Long after
the intelligent people running the Republic they
realized that Singapore was ageing. There were
more older people than the young population.
Base on those few and others I came to the
conclusion that I must not look at who said things.
What is more important is ' what was said '.
Intelligent minds may not necessarily speak
intelligently or trustworthy as I saw in Edison.
Tesla was only credited decades later after his
death. How bad, inconsiderate and selfish some
intelligent people can be. If Edison live till
today probably he would be booed for his
idiosyncracy.
There are too many people with distorted mind
today. They fought hard for the price increase
and inflation. They condoned GST and the raise
in gasoline price. They supported people who
lied through their teeth. Indeed the sad part of
human tragedy. The error was injected into
mankind so that the hell will not be empty.
03/09/2013
- Abdul Rahman Raof |
|
CRIMES
EVERYWHERE - SHE WAS ROBBED
The towkey
of an electronic shop I used to go is a lady, sweet and
beautiful. She looked younger than her working daughter.
A couple of months ago she told me that she was going to
France with a group of business women. I went to her
shop again about a week later to hear stories about her
trip. She was not there. I was told by another shop
owner that she was robbed while in France. |
I was very
curious to know more. This morning I dropped by and she
was there. " I just come back from Russia," she told me.
"Very cold, isn't it ?" I asked. "Yes very cold summer."
I goaded her
to tell me about the robbery. How was it done. She said
in the evening 14 of them, all women, went out to do
some window shopping. All of a sudden a group of Blacks rushed and
rammed them. 14 of them fell on
the floor of the shopping complex. When they stood up
they found all their hand bags were missing.
Black men
cause problems everywhere. There was a kind of ring
including professionals who worked out to bring them here.
And they cheated and deceived hundred of Malaysians.
In Mecca
they created problems to both the authority and the
visitors. They also cheat and steal.
In USA you
will find them by the hundreds in Queen, Chicago
gathering during the night time
probably peddling drugs among themselves. |
"Malaysia is
better," she finally concluded. I said nothing to refute her
remark, knowing that we too are not safe.
But I can
assure you that shooting in USA is an everyday affair.
It is dangerous to walk alone.
Vandalism is
rife in both continents, North America and Europe and hard to control. Sometimes it makes us
wonder the effectiveness of their police force.
Could we
gauge the crime condition based on the number of
prisoners ? If it is so, USA has the most prisoners
followed by China, Russia and India. But they have a
huge population.
Figures do
not tell the whole and true stories. What if the
criminals are not caught. In Europe pick pockets are
many as in other places. What if the criminals simply
went missing, secretly murdered by secret vigilantes ?
How many
arrest were there in Mafia town ? Perhaps this area is a heaven
for criminals and drug peddlers.
03/09/2013 |
YOU
ASK FOR IT
UMNO is
telling the stupid youths that Malaysian gasoline is
cheaper here as compared to Thailand, Indonesia and
Singapore. Gasoline has always been expensive in
Thailand but commodities, food and services are cheaper
than Malaysia. And the prosperity of Thailand is leading
this country. And Singapore's strong economy, money as
well as the income of the people could buy them more
than fuel. They could also buy the whole of Malaysia. I
would touch Indonesia at all. You need to know the
people and the country better to understand what's
happening there.
The UMNO
Cyber Trooper is running around yelling that 20 cents is
a small amount. Why make a fuss of it.
20 cents
increase in fuel will drive every other goods to rise by
at least 10 cents. You buy ten goods you are paying a
dollar more. The more costly the commodity is the higher
will be the raise.
All
government efforts to control prices never stop them
from becoming more and more expensive.
The Malays
were accustomed to live like slave and be cheated their
whole life by those they happily chose. The more stupid
the people are the more happy UMNO leaders are.
Serve you
right by choosing them. Had not I said before I will
have a big laugh and clap my hands at those stupid
goons.
03/09/2013 - Abdul
Rahman Raof
APPLES AND
ORANGES
BRIM has it's own agenda, which was a bait and has the
element of corruption. So was the increase in salaries
and other promises prior to GE13. It was for the benefit
of the ruling party to retain power. The GST, the raise
in tax and other premium have another agenda. Hence they
have to be treated separately. We don't lump the oranges
and the apples into one basket and call the people to
give the same name. It is bad to demand equal gratitude
for both. Further more BRIM and salary raise do not
affect all people. But gasoline price affect everybody. |
GAS
AND INFLATION
I have long
wonder why the cost of living in Thailand is lower in
Thailand despite the high gasoline price. For decades
our currency had been stronger but for the last few
years we have to pay more for the Thai baht.
I don't know
the situation in USA today. I remember the price of many
commodities and raw foods were much cheaper than in
Malaysia though the exchange rate was more than 2.5 to
1. Car price was amazingly low.
The other
day at a mini market I saw someone paid almost a hundred
ringgit for a small tin of baby milk. Even without the
GST prices were more than triple. The ground nut I used
to pay for 80 cents is now RM3.
However in
Malaysia price increase will follow as the gas price
increase. It does not come to soon. No amount of
government's warning and arrest will halt the hike. A
meal that cost RM3 is now RM8 to RM15. Fish and squids
are darn expensive now.
When you go
to a market you don't pay 20 cent more. You may be
paying RM2 more. If the government gives you RM500, it
does not last you even two months. The spill over is
just like the multiplier effect. A 6% increase in GST
may cost us ten times more. You go out everyday and you
pay much more than the initial 20 cents. Today the Mamak
showed me a bill of his purchase which he used to pay
RM45 is now RM60 starting from today.
Government
servants aren't affected because of their high pay. As
prices increase and the cost of living fly up they will
seek for more pay. And after the RM500 has vanished
those recipients will have to start crawling again their
whole life.
A single
storey terrace is now RM140K, a bungalow costs between
1/2 a million to a few millions, the common ones are
RM800K. When the local can't afford they sell to the
foreigners. People are driven to flats and other high
rise.
Yet we are
told to support UMNO and to thank God for the folly.
When UMNO slap a man, the man is told, "You should thank
God because I don't kill you. Thank me because I only
slap you."
03/09/2013 - Abdul
Rahman Raof |
THE ART OF
DECEPTION
Of
what state of mind a person is to say YES to
billions of wasted money in the purchase of
unsinking Scorpene, PERWAJA, PKZ, indelible
ink and much more ?
Of
what state of mind a person is to say YES to
corruption, inefficiency and the declining
morality of the Muslim youths and even to
gangterism ?
Learn about
Dajjal to understand more of the
leadership and the followers. Are we not
prostrating to such a sinister being, to
right the wrong, to worship for the promise
?
The
art of deception is the Dajjal approach. Get
the Youtube clips on the Dajjal, and think
deep about it. Find out more what the Dajjal
Approach is as you peruse those
documentaries.
Our
minds have been distorted by the media.
|
HOW HOUSE RENTAL RELATES TO GAS PRICE
A terrace house
rental in Kuala Lumpur is RM800. My wife
rented her house at RM180 though all
other houses within the vicinity cost
RM250.
But rates had
gone up by leap and bound. The value of
money flung way down. Now with the gas
price business communities will hike up
prices, further pushing down the
purchasing power. What choice do I have
to combat the rising cost other than to
increase the rental.
That's how
rental climbs from time to time, to
adjust with the current money value as
inflation catches up. Go to the super
market and jot dow the prices of the
commodities and compare them with the
price in a couple of months time. UMNO
goons will still love it. |
|
TAX
MONEY
Almost everyone pays
taxes of various forms. We don't pay taxes to God for
giving us life and good health. All what God asks was
for mankind to remember the Al-Mighty and always be
thankful for the daily providence. |
WE ARE MALAYSIANS
In 1965 after
leaving school I went to Bangkok to watch an Asian Game.
On the day of the Opening Ceremony, I dressed up in a
Malay costume, wearing my Songkok and the Sampin. I took
up the grand stand seat.
Soon after several Chinese and
Indians came to surround me. They spoke Malay and
introduced themselves as Malaysians. The whole group
made themselves heard when the Malaysian contingent
passed by.
More than two decades later, when
Rashid, Rusli and me were on a train to the heart of New
York City, a young Chinese boy approached us as he heard
our Malay conversation. He introduced himself as a
Perakian from Ipoh, working in a Malaysian restaurant. "
I yearn to go back to Malaysia...", he said so in Malay.
He never talked about a permanent resident in USA but
instead expressing his sadness to miss the people and
the country.
There were numerous other occasion
when I met the Malaysians Chinese in USA and other
places who only identified themselves as Malaysians.
To identify Malaysian to the Malays is a pure
absurdity. The Thai Malays have always been proud of
their Thai nationalities despite their hard life in the
South. The Indonesian Malays have pride in themselves
for being Bangsa Indonesia ( Indonesian Race ). The
Mamaks grouped themselves together but conveniently
called themselves Malays to reap whatever is available
in the street.. The
game of nationalism through ethnicity has always been a
cloak to hide individual greed, may it be a Chinese,
Indian or a Malay. It is a game to gain support and
popularity so that the covert agenda can proceed without
interruptions. The trick is simple. Let the people fight
each other while they can enjoy the big projects and the
big money. We are all
Malaysians. We have been living together for ages. Don't
let the greed and the robbers split us apart. Don't let
the politicians play us against each other. Each and
everyone of us must not give face to extremism and to
tell our kin not to tolerate racial ego and superiority.
Or else we will be heading towards bloody relationship,
lives will be lost for nothing. We are not savage and
don't think like one. We are
all Malaysians and must unite to combat the many
problems we are all facing.
02/08/2013 - Abdul Rahman Raof |
We pay the
road tax for the making and maintenance of the road we
use. We pay all other taxes to run a government; pay the
salaries who govern, of the civil service that serve the
people and for other developments and services.
It is to be
concurrent between the welfare of the government and the
governed.
I found it
disturbing and awkward when an UMNO Menteri Besar was
insinuating that only UMNO and BN supporters pay taxes.
Why not when he threatened not to develop any area won
by the opposition. And many are waiting for the
government to announce that only UMNO and BN members and
supporters pay the dues.
The
conscientious citizens would want to know the trail of
their money so that it won't be misused. And any Muslim
who are trustees must performed their obligation well to
spend the fund for the benefit of everyone regardless of
their political beliefs and racial back ground. |
I pay rate
to the City Counsel by a few hundred ringgit a year. So
far I see where my money goes to. They cut the grass and
clear the garbage. And they provide jobs to the poor
people.
I got damn
mad when the money for cows went somewhere else and
arrogantly use their influence to punish those who cried
foul. And when a Malay Muslim Minister declared to use
they money collected from the public for selective
development.
The Pharaoh
was condemned for being too haughty, showing no respect
to God. Are not the Malaysians disregard Islam and God
to claim they can do what they like to whoever they like
to ? To say " To stay in this country you must pay us ..
otherwise live somewhere else..." is thus claiming the
absolute ownership of the land that belongs to God.
The Caliph
of Allah has to be fair and understand his duty to those
who feed them with bread and butter. The people.
02/08/2013 |
TECHNO WONDER
Wash and Dry washing machine is here now. I don't know
how much it cost and I don't want to know it. My daughter
bought it when she came home for the Hari Raya.
The
old machine is in my shack. I washed what belong to me
and my wife, manually filling and draining the water,
and spin to almost dry before I took out to the sun. It has never been a burden
and never been a hassle.
I
never iron my cloth, making me a shabby old man. I don't
need to be looked nice except when I attended a wedding
festivals or special events. Nylon clothing would serve
the purpose for many occasions.
Wash and dry ? I used to laundry my clothing in foreign
countries. They have separate drying machines. I had to
manually transfer from one to another. I was curious and
put it to try. My daughter had briefed me the setting. I
just followed the three steps. It took 2 hours plus to
complete. Indeed wash and dry. They were warm too.
The
machine is splendid but I don't know how much of
electricity it consumed. The heating element always
consumed power. The other day I wrongly pressed the
button twice and it washed three time for hours and
hours but never dry. I told myself it would cost me a
fortune to pay the utility bill.
Otherwise it is really a wonderful machine. When I
learned of the minimal power usage I would fully utilize
it to my benefit.
I
would not even thought about such a machine 60 years
ago. Today we are being invaded by 3D TV, a palm size
gadget that do thousand and one tasks and many more
techno wonders. |
This is not yet the
highest achievement of mankind. It is fearful to think
of the future. To the old people like me it is a bizarre
image of zombies and other experimented creatures.
Believe me I even see Zombie in Mahathir. And you can
kill people a thousand mile away via drone object.
Wash, spin and dry all
by itself and in one go makes life easy. All you need to
do and buy this wonder technology.
02/09/2013 - Abdul Rahman Raof |
9M2RB in
Bukhara
Again
another wonder of life. You can get immediate picture of
someone thousand of miles away.
|
ESCAPING
CIVIL
WAR
AND
CIVIL
UNREST
Arrogant and
despotic ruler had to divide and rule to retain power
and at the same time will strengthen his position by
allying himself with strong foreign powers to ensure his
domestic foes will not get help from them. Assad thought
he could escape foreign intervention by his offer of
goodwill to the Americans and at the same time his
Russian brothers behind him. |
|
His army is pounding on his enemies, the locals who
could no longer stand him. Weak and suppressed
people would seek help anywhere they can, and there are
countries which bound to provide military aid. In Syria
there is no question of escaping the civil war because
the war has happened, and there had been great tolls.
Malaysia has been thinking very hard how to contain
similar eventualities, and had done almost everything
within her power to ensure domestic tranquility.
Nobody wants bloodshed. But we can't afford to create
hatred among ourselves, playing one race against the
other, and arrogantly displaying the avarice and the
loathful act of crime done as to say " Yes, we take your
money. What can you do..."
When the enemy become bigger they become stronger. They
won't stand still to allow themselves being bullied and
lied upon. Wasn't that happen in Iraq, Libya and Syria ?
As I see, the way things go it will not reduce the
tension between the citizens, those who support BN and
those who don't. |
The only healthy way to stop the expansion and growth of
political hatred and revenge is not to commit things the
public seen as crimes. The overbearing behavior of the
EC chiefs on the indelible ink and other election
matters, the arrogant behaviors of people in the
cow-condo projects and a long mile list of other crimes
could never be bought with money.
And to avoid any atrocities, which are still under
controlled.
At this juncture Malaysia is still free from civil
unrest or civil war. Even poor people can have daily
meals and the leaders are still able to make some people
follow them.
Despite the control, unforeseen disaster might strike
any time. The polarization is there. UMNO is continuing
with the fueling of racial hatred and racial tension
continue to heigten. With some UMNO heads who are very
very bossy and mischievous the wind of future civil
unrest would have to come. It may be in the next 20 or
30 years.
31/08/2013 - Abdul
Rahman Raof |
THE
FEAR
Movies that I watch and blog that I read had created
great fear in me. The White House Down, Olympus has
Fallen and the Retaliation of GI Joe are epic and
splendid movies, entertaining and warning the Americans
how the White House could be attacked and the possible
consequences that could befell upon the Presidents. Even
President could be faked and the members of the White
House could be traitors.
Just now the news on TV1 was talking about the Malaysian
gangsters and the denial of the involvement of the politicians
in the organizations. Gang 04 and 08 were reported to
come out in the open marching displaying the gang
banners, challenging the police. It was reported that
our most top politicians were rubbing shoulders with the
gang bosses.
Many members of the public accused the police to be
members of the underground activities, accepting money
and gifts from the illegal activities.
The
biggest fear is when the country is ruled and under the
control of Mafia and gangsters. If the police had
watched the above mentioned movies I am sure they will
be more careful, and would watch the politicians more
closely. If they have to act then they must act.
Machiavelli wrote,"....consuming their time and money in
idleness, gaming and women, their chief aim was to
appear well dressed and to speak with wit and acuteness,
whilst he who could wound others the most cleverly was
thought the wisest...." So the ignorant voters thought
they chose the wisest by their clever maneuver.
Zahid Hamidi must act tough regardless of the status of
the politicians by a direct act or by using the tact of the
same clever maneuvering and acuteness. The task is tough
but it has to be done. Put some fear in those
politicians named. Make them shiver and resign in a dignified way
and a gallant manner.
Democracy is bad when the populace are stupid and
ignorant and easily deceived. BN does not need to beg
from gang members for a place in parliament. It would
betray the people and the nation. Wake up and open your
eyes. Our last hope are the good people in the police
and the army to save the nation from destructions.
29/08/2013 - Abdul
Rahman Raof |
MOVIES .. ENTERTAINMENT .. A FORCE
Both Hollywood and the Tamil movies do not serve us
movies
merely to entertain and educate us They also aim at
the persuading and inspiring us to awaken tand fight
against crimes and injustice. One Tamil movie depicted
the incarnation of a Hindu God into a doctor and a
university Professor who fought against villains and
suppressors. It made the ferocious killings of the
gangsters and inconsiderate landlords legal and vital
for the justice of the suppressed.
Many movies portrayed the involvement of the high
ranking police with the underground movements; illicit
drugs and prostitution, and running illegal businesses
which are menace to society. In the United States
killings are of daily affairs. In some areas people are
living in fear. Drugs and gang fights are rife.
If
the movies are pure fictions, it however showing the
mental setup of the movie makers who were fed up of the
continuing crimes and corruption. They dreamed of the
existence a super powered man like the Judge Dredd and
the man incarnation of a Hindu god to pop up and
eliminate the villains once and for all without the
distrusted police.
Malaysian movies have different agenda. Tanda Putera is
more on the political propaganda. My sick wife was
astounded by Malaikat di Tepi Pintu ( angle at the
door) until she talked in her sleep about the story.
Many programmed themselves to watch Khurafat and cancelled
all other plans. Those were merely a normal and
entertaining movies. We dared not project any stories
that are gibing.
Foreign movies could sometime be the mirrors to our nation.
Stories wrote as if they were for us. You see these in
many Tamil films.
But we cannot solely
rely on movies to guide us in our living and our actions.
Movies are imagination. We must not allow ourselves
being drugged into the same world of imagination no
matter how strong the persuasive power. And in Malaysia
no person is strong enough and powerful enough to clean
the nation of evil and demon. Evil force prevail. It is
the choice of the people.
30/08/2013 - Abdul Rahman Raof |
INDEPENDENT DAY
My memory of the independent day 31 August 1957 is very
fuzzy. I was 10 years old attending a Malay school in
standard three. I remember the spirit was strong.
Remember the Babu Ubat Gegat and Chat Gila I told you
about ? Every time I saw Chat Gila he would shout
MERDEKA with an umbrella in his right hand and the
illiterate Babu would die for Tunku Abdul Rahman. My
family, the fishermen from Kuala Kedah, arrived our home
at the wee hours in the morning to celebrate the 1st
independent day.
Everywhere we saw smiling faces, happy and enthusiastic.
The word MERDEKA uttered was truly borne from the
heart.
At some occasion I heard scholarly adult making sinister
comment about our fate and our future. They said that
the trishaw pullers life will never change and the poor
would remain poor. I really didn't understand what they
meant. I just ignored them.
As kids we shouted Merdeka aloud from time to time; when
we were at play and when we passed each other. To me
Tunku Abdul Rahman was a real hero who freed us from the
British rule without any bloodshed. Later I heard
someone remarked about getting an independent in a sissy
manner, unlike the Indonesians who out up great fights
against the colonizer.
Crowds gathered at Padang Court in front of the national
mosque to celebrate. I had wanted to wear the new shirt
I called Baju Kertas, a shirt with newspaper design.
Those with radios tuned to Radio Malaya to hear Tunku's
speech, loud enough to let the whole village heard. I
gathered only one house was equipped with a radio in my
village.
In the evening my relatives began to make a move back
home to Kuala Kedah by boat. But the night was still
jubilant and the town was glittering with colorful
light.
Today the joy and ecstasy has faded. The celebration
takes a new form; Mat Rempit would go for the racing,
people partying and drinking and instead of uniting the
people we are splitting them to strengthen our political
position.
30/08/2013 - Abdul
Rahman Raof
|
SK
SERI PRISTANA STILL GOING ON?
Funny
things still happen in schools. I saw pictures of
students sitting on the school corridor writing
punishment posted by a teacher in the facebook.
And following her write up she always condemn her
students. She even accused her students for damaging her
car. She did not publish a picture in a session but from
time to time she would publish showing her students were
asked to crawl. Those are secondary school kids. I told
the school administrator to advise her for fear of
defamation suit. Te school did not take my advice. |
MR Z AND
MR WONG
Mr Z
was a non-graduate mathematic teacher who
pride himself as a good and competent
mathematician. But the school mathematical
result had never been good. The whole group
blame the stupid students who were poor in
arithmetic at the entry level into my
school. One day Mr Z came to my room, pulled
my hand asking me to see his class. A boy
standing near the black board was said
didn't even know how to divide one by two. I
said nothing and went back to my office.
I
cannot tolerate teachers who always blame on
the students stupidity. I was recommended by
a friend of a teacher from Penang who wanted
to a transfer to Alor Setar. I worked out
for Mr Wong to be placed in my school.
The
first thing I told Wong was not to say the
students are stupid. Sick people need
treatment, not to send them home and wait
for their death.
With
Wong came a few more science teachers also
graduates and I told them the same thing
about the students.
In the
end Mr Wong proved his ability.
Mathematics shot up from about 20% to 80%
plus of quality passes. Science above 95%.
It is attitudes that matter.
28/08/2013 |
|
Teachers and head masters are sometimes sadists. The
case of using the toilet as a temporary canteen did not
provide with sensible explanation. And I am of the
opinion the head master is not smart enough. Things
would cool down and errors would have been forgotten if
the head master was transferred out. Instead the school
is taking revenge.
We are
hearing that the young Indians are getting themselves
into gangsterism for a number of reasons. Among other
things is the hatred for the government for the
discrimination and mistreatment of the Indians. Already
SK Seri Pristana has been dragged into political scene.
Names like UMNO and Mahyuddin had been mentioned. In
fact it has become a racial issue.
And
probably someone at the far corner is clapping his hand
and said, "Serve the Indian right for supporting BN." If
it is so BN is not worried for the Indian will forget
with another handout of cash in the next GE.
The
case must be settled meticulously and wisely. Parents
may yell using whatever swear words and curses as long
as they do not resort to violent act. On the other hand the gangsters say nothing but
resort to shooting and damaging properties.
Only
history can tell if the same incident happen in a
secondary school. |
The
discipline of fasting is not turning the face away from
those who are eating and food on the table, or even
sleep the whole day to rest the weak body. The business
is like usual. Sitting with the non-Muslims friends who
are eating should not make us more hungry and crave for
the available food. Laboring oneself or exercising
doesn't drain one's energy. They strengthen the fasting
discipline.
If we
go to war we hide from the enemy. We penetrate into the
heart of the enemy line.
Could
we blame the Indians for their sensitivities when their
temple had once been attacked, Indian prisoners found
dead in the lock up, their youths were shot and PI Bala
mysteriously suffered from the heart attack at the
inappropriate time ? They felt they were being
discriminated against.
I
think the act of photographing the kid concerned was not
a prudent move. That is the striking factor that
triggered the prolonged confrontation.
What
now ? Every error made has to be paid, both the head
master and the parent who was alleged to threaten the
school. A Guru Besar is not indispensable. He has to go.
28/08/2013 - Abdul
Rahman Raof |
A
QUESTION OF MURDER
A
murder, taking away one's life, has always been regarded
as a crime. Again words are manipulated when the same
act is not called a murder in time of war. For a country
to legally kill lives it would be very simple. Just
declare a war and go for the killing spree.
We
don't go around and simply killed any person we want or
feel like killing. People kill to defend themselves.
Even defend could be interpreted in different ways. You
can go an ambush or attack a group of people saying that
you have to eliminate them or else those people will
kill you. It is like saying 'the best defense is to
attack'. It is better to fight the enemy in their land
than on our soil.
A
planned murder does not come from an immediate impulse
and it is called a premeditated murder. We have an
intent and plan to do it. The non plan and the outburst
of the act to kill can happen when you go home and find
your wife sleeps with a man.
It
is interesting to look at the case of Altantuya. We are
about to say that the lady is not murdered and not
killed. Have we said that ? Or are we saying it is not a
murder at all because she is the enemy of the state ?
At
times we come to conclusion that bad people deserve to
die. So we kill the gangsters, mafia, cartels, robbers
and other criminals. In the pursue of universal justice
some innocent lives may have been killed too. Justice is
not without a cost.
Justice or not, right or wrong, we want to know who cause
the killings. It is easy for a man to put the blame on
the gun. But the gun blames the finger. The finger blame
the man. The man blames the person who give him the gun.
The man who provides the gun blame the person who force
him to give the gun.
You
know what the final words are. Blame God, it is fated
that God let he dies that way. Are we all fated to die
and have been pre-destined to die that way ? It is the
will of the God. Didn't the EC people use this excuse ?
Simiar to Altantuya there were many other cases that
crimes do not happen because no people went to jail for
it. It happen to Perwaja Steel and Bank Bumi. And it
would probably happen to PKZ too.
We
call it chaos. They call it order.
25/08/2013 - Abdul
Rahman Raof |
RESURRECTING OLD HAMS ?
To
resurrect the existing old hams to come back is almost
impossible for some reasons or others. Neither could we
resurrect the past atmosphere, which is almost to
impossible. The total spirit disappear, evaporate with
the demise of the gang groups. The absent of enthusiasm
is due to the disappearance of the traditional
atmosphere.
There are still a few
old hams around; Radin Lukman, Raja Iskandar, Rajamani,
Chin, Yee, Chow, Weng, Linggam, Bahar, Rashid,
Yusoff, Khalid , Othman, Monti, Kamal and several more
in Peninsular Malaysia. Many still monitor the band.
There is one ham,
9W2TZ, who tried to bring back some of these people by
sending them antenna and even rigs. The effort did not
bear fruit.
Even if they come back
on the band the pleasure will not be as before. In the
past there were no rogue people coming to disturb. Any
bad transmission would soon be caught by the authority.
From the remarks passed we could in fact identify the
racial stock, creed and the status of the ruffians. If
it is a kind of filth and deterioration I blame the old
hams who have the myopic visions.
Anyway SWLing is fun
too.
It is not only
Malaysian hams who disappeared from the band. I don't
hear old buddies from Indonesia too. Though many had
passed away, I did hear names like Hadi and Cheppy
coming to Kuala Lumpur. In the North were Kadir and
Supomo; they too vanished from the band.
I guess the whole
world may have identical experience.
Could ageing be the
main factor for the withdrawal ? Or could it be the
other commitments demand more attention ?
I believe the buddy
effect came into play. No buddy killed the complete
interest. The time to hunt for DX stations had been
over. Coming on the band is merely to chat. And chatting
with buddies bring more fun.
I expect the new hams
to raise up their own buddy groups and would park
somewhere for an evening chats. It looks like the
preference is on computer chat.
26/08/2013 - Abdul Rahman Raof |
MUTUAL RESPECT
It
is a person's own wish and choice whether to sit for CW
test or not. I can encourage people to take CW but I
can't demonize them if they chose to stay away from it.
I am a Pro-CW guy, bad or good.
But
those who are sitting for Morse may not be Pro-CW
protagonist. Neither were they anti anti-CW proponents.
First they want to test themselves of their ability to
learn what people said as tough. How tough was it or was
it a mere myth ? Secondly they have the desire to work
all the band, without going the easy way to beg from the
authority. They believe in their own might and struggle
for survival. Thirdly they want to have fun.
While those who reject CW because they want Malaysia to
follow what USA and some other countries are doing.
Each person is entitled to his own opinion, views and
stand.
I
learned that those who passed the test do not want to
come on the mode just to please their friends, which I
think is not a wise move. Their friends must respect
them as much as they were respected. The term mutual
respect means respecting each other.
Morse, like any other language, can get rusty if it is
neglected. We don't simply let the hard-acquired thing
to go vanishing itself. You need to keep it by regularly
using it.
Though we can use computer to work Morse we also need to
use our fingers and ears to send and copy them from time
to time just not to let the rust begin to gather. At
contest computer helps to speed up the logging and
communicating processes.
Don't let CW or CW issue hinders friendship. Never bring
up the topic in the discussion in the mixed groups. When
the CWers get together obviously CW topics would be fun
to discuss, without the mentioning of those who are not
interested in them. The other night when I had an
eyeball with 9M2NP he had a pleasure of narrating how he
copied and sent the codes.
I
would not encourage a person to totally abandon Morse
just to please his friend and to get himself into their
good book. Likewise they should not isolate or condemn him
for his interest in seeking knowledge, skill and
experience. There must be a mutual respect.
26/08/2013 - Abdul
Rahman Raof |
A
HOME
It
has more than 10 years a factory worker who married a
staff of my wife rented a single storey terrace house
belonging to my wife for RM180 a month. He came to our
house expressing his wish to move to his newly bought
home, also a single storey terrace but a little longer.
|
|
THE BUS WAS
BLACKLISTED
The police
said the bus that plunged into the ravine
was in the police black list. I admit that I
don't understand what it means. What does
the black list mean ? It is just like
pasting a piece of paper on the bus saying
'you are a bad bus' and the bus will go it's
usual affair.
At each of
the accidence you hear a Minister talks.
Then it was very quiet until the next
accidence and more death. A Minister is seen
again. It goes on and on. Should I blame the
Minister or you who put them there ?
Did I hear
the police saying accidents happen because
people do not pay their summons ? Someone
did ask the question 'what has not paying
the summon to do with accidents ?'
Of course
the supporters of UMNO will ask 'what has
the government to do with the bad bus driver
?'
They will
only smell the stench at the later part of
their lives. At that time they will know the
answer.
It is the
smell of money that creates distortions.
They will have to swallow what they had
created. |
|
It is a dream of most people to have a home of their
own. I didn't ask him much except the price and the
monthly payment incurred.
His house cost RM140K and the monthly payment is above
RM600. His is a medium range. The low range house cost
RM80K. I talked about the probability of the renovation
on the low range home, which could reach to about 20K.
I stopped there. I did not talk about the political
rhetoric and the promises, as not to fan up anger
against the politicians people seem to trust.
A home I know costs between half a million to 900K in
the state of Kedah. Hence the greedy people will rush
for the property development. There is a rush for
agriculture land and water catchment areas. Even forests
are cleared for the big money.
It is not the Malays alone who can't afford a million
ringit home. There are thousands of other races found
them very expensive. |
Our future generations will live in flats. If I were to
blame UMNO the party will say even under DAP the people
will have to pay the same amount. They will not take any
responsibility and the blame, faced by the people.
A home is not merely a place to stay and sleep and rest,
to protect against rain end shine, it is also a place
for the nurturing the growth of emotional development of
their children. It is a place where the sick rest and a
rite for a newly born and the death.
Once the government create a ghetto, it will also
creates the epicenter of drug factory.
A home can be a flat but not a nest for a flock of
families. No politician or Dato's want to stay in such a
nest. Look at their homes, as huge as a palace of
fantasy. They are the Rakyat. The Rakyat come first.
22/08/2013 |
HAM
REPEATERS
Amateur radio repeaters, once set up, are usable by all
license hams. There is no question of membership or
paying the fees. Else any repeater only for exclusive
members could only be triggered by the members using a
given code.
It
is bad to chase a fellow Malaysian from the repeater for
not paying a fee but allowing the foreigners using it
from their own home. I would say it is improper to
discriminate users.
On
the other hand it is very pertinent for users to donate,
not for using it, but with having an equal
responsibility to share for the maintenance and repair.
Concerted effort to voluntarily donate or pay for the
repeater maintenance fee would lighten the burden of
those who sacrifice part of their earning for the
purpose of the hobby.
22/08/2013 - Abdul Rahman Raof
CONDOLENCE TO LAST FEW OLD HAMS WHO RECENTLY DEPART
Two
more old hams left us in the recent bus accidence that
plunged into the ravine. Chan Fook Choy and Leong Siew
Meng were good buddies of Zainal, 9M2ZA, who always meet
once a week for eyeballing. Chow, 9M2CF, who had a pain
on his back finally decided not to join the Genting
trip.
We
send our condolences to families of the demise hams who
had long been with us.
22/08/2013 - Abdul
Rahman Raof |
WHY
THE ISSUE OF RED BEAN ARMY ?
The
graduates in IT and those other jobless need to find
jobs. A good and a secured job is not easy to find these
days. Many were given hope that UMNO could save them.
To
create an army there must be enemies. If the government
can spend a few millions each year it could help these
people. Hence the enemy has been found; the Red Bean
Army.
UMNO has formed an army of cyber trooper to focus on
popular web sites, countering all the comments though
they sound so very stupid.
A
strong Najib or UMNO would not benefit the nation if the
members keep on pillaging of national coffers. The
pursue for wealth would still neglect the plunging of
Malay youths into the abyss of drug abuse, the decline
in morality and the raising crimes in the country.
I
can't say how much each of them is paid. I would
estimate it could have been at the minimum of 5K a
month, a salary not for the named-job as cyber trooper
but with other name.
A
few questioned the source of money paid for political
agenda. Even the money for the Open House was perceived
from the tax payers. Could someone provide with the
detail account of the expenditures for the Open House,
the family weddings and the millions spent on the voters
?
If
there is no Red Bean Army it is imperative for the
opposition to gather volunteers to fight the government
owned troopers. Pakatan Rakyat does not have the source
to pay to the people to do the job other than depending
on those who care for their survival and safety.
22/08/2013 - Abdul Rahman Raof |
WEALTHY ?
Cars on the road are bumper to bumper. Kids are carrying
Samsung and the iPhone. Aren't Malaysians wealthy ?
My
clerk with a salary of about 1.5K owned a hand phone and
had just bought a new MyVi. I asked her how much she
paid for the phone bill. She said RM250 a month. I was
surprise because I only pay RM30 monthly. Her
installment for the car was about RM450.
One
other worker was a gardener, an Indian, who would
moonlighting working mending railway track. He told me
his wife needed a freezer, a washing machine and a big
screen TV. The take home pay from my school was about
RM86. The rest went to Moccis.
Business people prefer a long term loan with fewer
amount to pay. The longer the loan the more they get.
More people can own expensive hard wares.
Counting the number of cars on the road would not tell
the economic status of the whole citizens.
Then we should count the number of people commuting on
the train and busses at each Balik Kampong. These are
people without cars though they may own smart-phones.
Domestic violence and confrontation due to the low
economic status and hard living were not shown by the
vehicles they own. In other words even people with low
income would squeeze themselves to buy used cars. Yet I
saw a mother carrying a new born baby on a motorcycle
driven by her husband.
But
UMNO is telling the people,"Look at the Malaysians. They
are very wealthy and prosperous. Otherwise they won't be
cars on the road."
22/08/2013 - Abdul Rahman Raof |
THE
SHIFT OF MY RADIO TIME
When the
days were fine and I was not at the troubled age my
radio would be on at 5 pm almost every day. Idris would
be the first to call. I remember the frequency, 7.040
mhz, when at exactly 5 pm the same CQ call was heard.
Years later when Idris were busy with his chores I would
be the first to call. |
I
DON'T RESPECT BEGGARS AND LOBBYISTS
I
developed a preconceived idea on persons who came to see
me to lobby or asking for promotion. And my thought on
someone who was trying to teach me to do my work is
worst. The Chinese used the word 'face' to describe many
things. It is akin to honor. I just simply don't have
'face' to seek promotion from my boss, or even asking
for a favor. Anybody who is good will be recommended for
promotion, and those who do not deserve should even
resign themselves. It was the low achievers who always
approach for a better post. They don't have 'face' and
integrity to do such a thing.
I
hated lobbyist because they took a lot of my time.
I
could have been rude, by postings on my door, barring
the lobbyists and those seeking favors and promotion.
I
just adore the hard working people, and respect them to
the finest and highest degree. I deplore beggars and
people who constantly begging and persuading the
authority to give them awards and rewards without doing
anything. It drains resources and turning us to be lazy
and stupid citizens.
My
brother in law's firm and a company belongs to a friend
entered tenders for my school's projects. I told the
board not to choose them. They could apply for the jobs
somewhere else. I can lose a friend and a relative but
not my face and my honor.
When you work to your principal many people will not
like you, and you tend to reject things that you think
are not at all beneficial. I don't need popularity and I
don't need position and post. And when bad people got
promoted because of their political affiliation or
cronyism, I did not complaint. I just don't respect them
and did not fear of any retaliation.
You
may say that beggars are better than thieves. To me both
are equally bad. They retard progress and development,
and discriminate against the hardworking and people with
positive attitudes. Should they be spitted upon ?
22/08/2013 - Abdul
Rahman Raof |
I disappeared from the band around 1982 when I went for
my study. Yeras later I was intermittent until I came to
a complete stop till 2002. The band was almost empty and
old hams were not heard. I learnt that many had passed
away.
My radio time started after I returned from an evening
exercise at about 6.30 pm. I would be on 7043 as it was
the only available frequency.
Things were totally change when my wife had to go for
her dialysis. It has been almost two years now. The
timetable is on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. At 11 am I
had to move out from my house. At 4.40 - 5.00 pm I have
to go to the dialysis center.
Some time she would e released at 5.00 pm and other time
at 5.30 even 6.00 pm. We did not come home immediately.
There was a need to go to buy dinner. |
Arriving home was always late. I could go out for my
exercise after I completely arranged the dinner for my
wife and administered medication on her. It would be
between 6.00 - 6.30 pm. Occasionally I could start my
exercise earlier.
There was nobody at 7.00 pm on the band. I would rest
but sometimes called CQ.
It
is at 11 pm when I was fully at home, switching on my
radio and worked on my computer. If I heard a call on
7.043 I would attend the call. If I were outside
watching the downloaded video I might have missed the
call.
The
change of my radio time is not at all to my own
convenience. It is the inevitable choice. If there is
anything urgent just call me on the land line, or
message me on the FB or even e-mail me.
21/08/2013 - Abdul
Rahman Raof |
WE WILL PASS THE SAME PATH
People seldom realize about their phases in life.
It begins with the day we were born and end up when
we die. Most will pass the childhood, the young and
the late adulthood, and the dawn of our days though
a few do not have the chance of passing the next
stage, leaving the world as a result of accidence or
whack by serious illness. Many are fighting hard not
to grow old, to delay the journey. It is good for
business community to produce anti-ageing
supplements and cream. Yet the internal organ kept
on decaying themselves. |
Once when I was very mad with a foul mouth nurse
at the local hospital I said to her, "Wait until you
get old. I swear by my words that you will get sick
and may be worst than the current patients. You will
feel what the sick people feel."
I heard someone called so and so 'the senile old
man' and making unwelcome remarks of the old guy. He
didn't have to wait until reaching 70, for I noticed
he was as forgetful in senility form.
At 50 more than 70% are vulnerable to diabetic
and hypertension and heart disease. With other
complication the deterioration in health will be
fast and fatal. That's when the arrogance will be
queuing up with the rest except for the few wealthy
ones like Mahathir and Shahrizat.
As we poke and making fun of the elderly, other
young people will do the same to us.
Who in Alor Setar didn't know and fear Bakar
Karan, the samseng ( fearful head gang ) from
Seberang Perak in the '60s ? And now people are
playing with his head and jokingly insulted him.
|
I feel pity and sorry at those who mistreated
their parents. They may be encountering worth and
more painful experience, the retribution from God on
their sins. If you don't believe me, just observe
those around you.
A few young men who helped the elderly returned
the gratitude of the men they helped by saying "Our
turn will come". Indeed it was an amazing and
thoughtful remarks.
Even jumping out of the norm we can't halt our
ageing process. One living example to observe is our
former PM, Dr Mahathir Mohammed, who is on the
constant struggle against death. May be many of us
will die first before him. People who are waiting to
celebrate his death will long die first.
I can't speak for the Jews, but I can say the
Muslims are aware of the stages of life. At the last
stage they spend their time for the next world and
leave everything to God to decide when they will
bring their 'ibadah' with them to God.
I can't yet imagine how prostitutes, cartel,
gangsters and other sinners are going to transform
themselves as they are passing the path. Will they
remember God at the time when they find they are so
lonely and live in desolation ? Would they regret to
what they |
had done to other
people ?
Drug addicts do
not walk the path as any other normal persons. They
cannot feel the serenity, the happiness and the
taste of real life is. They can't judge and
recognize between good and bad, right and wrong.
Would habits change in correspond with age ? Does
bad habit fade as body metabolism weaken and
physical strength fading ?
What happen within ourselves and what others
perceive us are different. We may think we are as
agile and strong as ever, young and attractive as
ever. But others see us archaic old men and ready to
die, weak in thought and everything else.
Our stage will always will be filled up as we
move to the next, and next. What we see ourselves is
not as important as what others see us.
You are only not what you are when they need your
help, your money or your favor for their sons and
daughters, or when they are too broke.
Never think we will be as what we are for the
next 200 years.
21/08/2013
- Abdul Rahman Raof |
COURTESY
Government servants must know their duties and their
missions, and to carry them out without fear and favor,
to do them well regardless of their political beliefs.
There are three things that he must always remember.
First is the rules, regulations and other procedures as
set in the General Order, Treasury Instructions and
other government instructions. Second, the most
difficult , is the immediate boss. And thirdly the
public.
I
said that the most difficult is the immediate boss
because he may not follow what has been set by the
government and commanded his subordinate to obey his
orders. He may break all laws under the sun and be a
corrupt as well as mischievous. At the same time he can
be closed to the bigger boss.
But
if he is a man who play by the book, honest and put the
public first before himself then he will open an easy
path for you to devote your full self to the job.
And
the public is the most important clients. Yet on many
occasions the people were facing frustrations. Below I
will narrate a few examples as seen to have been
happening in this country.
A
man from a distant village travel 60 miles to an office
to deal with a certain case. At the office he is told
that Puan Z is on maternity leave and the man is asked
to come back in a month's time. Similar to it is when a
member of general public is told to come back after 2 pm
because it was a lunch time.
To
the general public, office hours is from 8.30 am to 5.20
pm. And in a few innovative and concerned department
there set a system that no work shall be halted in
absent of any officer, and someone will be at the
counter even at the lunch time.
This is not the case of the general office workers but
the head of the office. What kind of boss is running it.
Public dissatisfactions were with the officers with foul
mouths that shouted and threat people like small kids.
My own experiences were in hospitals and police
stations. I told my staffs not to give any special
treatment to any nurses and policemen when they came to
seek for special favors. But treat them well with
courteous and smiles.
I
am sure you might have met some humble old folks dress
shabbily coming for your help. One small stall owner who
always converse in English with me said, "They think I
am Mamak Tongkang...". One old woman shouted back
at a nurse who was harsh to her, "How much is your
salary ?" And I saw one old Chinese woman wearing a
singlet went into a bank with a sack of money to
deposit. That humble old folk could be a former judge or
a former magistrate.
Whatever is beyond your power to approve could be nicely
explained to the clients. State whether it is prohibited
by the law or regulation or circulars. You are only
carrying out your duty as an officer. One police officer
defined a polite arrest as 'a warrant in my hand...my
hand on his shoulder..'
You
have nothing to lose by being courteous to your clients
and other people.
19/08/2013 - Abdul
Rahman Raof |
COLLEGE OF
VOCATION
There is a tremendous growth of college of
vocations giving openings to the less able and
intelligent students but with enough wealth to
enroll themselves and get jobs. There is a fear
of incompetent personnel in the world of work. |
An aviation
school advertise the requirement of merely three
credits. Once I was informed the fee for flying
school was RM250K. The advantage is certainly
goes to the people with money.
Today people
can buy themselves through the certificates if the price is
right.
I always
believe that the government colleges are better
then the private institutions in term of
facilities and competent staffs. What may be
deficient is the system.
While we are
looking for equal job opportunity for all, for smart
and less smart people, let it not be at the
expense of public welfare and safety.
Private
colleges hardly would fail their students so as
not to retard revenue. This is another way
quality is sacrificed.
But common to
both, government and private, is the lack of
communication skill and public relation. It is
not a part of the conveying curriculum.
I also believe
that all schools and colleges are subject to
public examination for recognizable
certifications. The test has to be
thorough and comprehensive.
The
accreditation system must comprise all vocation
colleges and universities.
We have to
avoid the system where only the have and the
affordable can get the passports to avocation.
20/08/2013 |
It must not
have the effect of discrimination against the
smart and the intelligent, unless the jobs do
not a high mental ability such as
the pre-school teachers and the welders.
Then there
should be a list of vocations with mental and
skill requirements.
The type of
vocations that I am focusing on that relates to
the services to the general public health and
safety, the lowest of which is a bus driver.
What it mean is that a bus driver must go to
driving school run by the government with
rounded academic and driving curriculum.
It sounds
absurd. But the current spate of bus accident
and the high speed busses it is only pertinent
to shift the qualification of the bus drivers.
They must be schooled.
Public
institutions must employ workers graduated and
trained by the government institutions. In the
shortage of staffs where graduates of other
private colleges are needed, the later must be
subjected to in-house assessment and further
training.
Those who
think they have a short cut mean of buying jobs
may have to think twice.
But it is to
be kept in mind that all government colleges of
vocation must have students of all races.
|
|
MY FRIEND
BASHARUDDIN
I have no
word to describe the good of this man, Haji
Basharuddin, a good buddy of mine in the
work place. I wish I could be like him. He
never spoke bad about any person. Never at
all. He would smile most of the time. The
best of this man is if he knew you are not
in a good term with me and on meeting me he
would say you send my nest regard to me, and
on meeting you he would say I send my salam
to him. Of course when I later meet you we
would be good to each other.
Unlike
Basharuddin most men find pleasure in
fueling animosity, spreading venoms and
telling the world how bad other people are.
It is
indeed true that to know a person is to hear
what he said about the others.
17/08/2013 - Abdul Rahman Raof
|
|
A NEW
STORY I READ
I just
started with Round the World in 80 days,
reading from my iPhone 4. Even the beginning
of the story stirred my mind up on matters
outside it; the conceivable impossibilities,
the challenge, the disputes and the betting.
The number who believe of it's possibility
finally shrank to almost nil. To go against
all odd one has to be an absolute optimist.
It was about the feat the conquer what was
imagined as an impossible task.
What was
seem to be very absurd has become very
normal today. Even with stoppages and rests
we can go round the world in 3 days or less.
Old
stories from the West told about struggle
and survival, about feat and effort to
conquer hardship and about the inventions
and the future.
I usually
read it while having meal at KFC. There are
many e-book applications for free
downloading. Try it for fun.
18/03/2013 - Abdul Rahman Raof |
|
LAWYERS AREN'T POPULAR IN USA
Many American jokes
are making fun of
lawyers. Even Rowan (Mr
Bean) grouped lawyers among the big sinners. In Malaysia
bad lawyers are called 'Black Sheep', insinuating that
not every lawyer is bad. Malaysian public are not aware
what all the lawyers are doing except on what they read
and heard in the news, about lawyers who murdered and
cheat
their clients. And about lawyers who advice
the spouse to do bad things but looked like legal.
Cheating on the
clients also happened in the United States as else
where. Also lawyers were said to defend bad people and
let criminals go scott-free. Read more about the lawyers
in America.
I think lawyers are
smart and intelligent people, do you ? One be you can be
a lawyer is to let yourself be caught under ISA, and
while in the lockup study law and sit for the exam paper
by paper until you have covered and pass all the
disciplines they have in Malaysian law.
18/08/2013 -
Abdul Rahman Raof |
SICK
MAN
A
sick man is not only the medically sick person like
fever, diabetic or heart problem. It also comprises of a
mentally unsound mind not amounting to total madness. By
the sick man in this context is the person with the
unsound mental health, physically seen as any normal
man.
I
don't go to read blog of such a person. Neither would I
encourage others to do the same. Just ignore the blog
and ignore the man. Any form of confrontation will bring
us to his level.
Sickness can be hereditary. His whole generation may be
suffering from the same disease. That's why when someone
behaved in erratic manner, I always want to know about
his children in school. The same behavior may have been
transmitted through the genetic process.
Only the loser and a sore person injected into himself
the labor of hatred and jealousy towards other
successful people and high achievers. He can't do the
same because of his innate deficiency.
Some of you who might have followed my articles will now
realize the truth of my words about the standard of ham
radio and the hams in Malaysia today. But I blamed the
old hams for any existing chaos today.
You
have to see the eddy current to know the danger beneath.
You have to sense it.
You
don't have to know the owner of the sick man's blog or
pointing finger at any suspect, which may wrong us. But
it is enough to know that there are sick people among
the radio members. And you can somewhat prophesize what
will happen to the ham band in the future. I can bet 8
out of your 10 prophesies will turn out to be true.
Spend more time on the radio band than the time on
reading radio blogs, which may not be beneficial
whatsoever.
16/08/2013 - Abdul
Rahman Raof |
NEW
HAMS JUST WATCH
Hear what they tell you but don't take all as truth you
can rely on. Words usually multiply, boosted by extra
addition. They tell one side of the story. Similarly you
don't have to believe what I am writing here.
If
I were to tell you so and so is bad you must not
immediately believe me. You don't have even to
investigate him. And of course we can never trust a
stranger for we knew not of his background and origin.
Frictions can cause sparks. Sparks can cause fire or
even explosion. Seeing clashes of the two titans, we
hide ourselves in a cave avoiding any stray weapons
hitting us.
Say
nothing. Comment nothing when you read a blog or
messages in the facebook that may look like the volley
of fires. It could add to agitation and factionalism.
You can avoid involvement this way.
Put
away your ego if you wish to listen to other people's
conversations. Hams talk of various things under the
sky. Some discuss their experiences of higher level,
which to them is normal but to us sound like bragging.
Some discuss topics beyond our grasp or not to our interest
like photography and luxurious cars.
If
you put your ego as the best ever perfectionist then you
may get jealous or angry. You could act like a wild
beast by pressing your PTT, causing QRM and even pass
remarks. That would add fuel to the already existing
split.
I
think it is vital for you to know the history of the
major radio society and the people behind them. A
society is always dead and soulless. It is the men
behind them that shape the characters. And each of them
may have some hidden agenda behind.
The
idea is not to drag ham radio into farther chaos and
frictions. And we have enough egos flying around like
the arrogant devils. The Master of all, unseen and
invisible, is like the fire burning the husks. It would
be sad if you fall into the trap.
16/08/2013 - Abdul
Rahman Raof |
DEMAND AND
SUPPLY
The
economic jargon of price is determined at
the point when demand equals supply, which
is not necessarily so. Price cannot be
lower than then production cost. And at the
outlet the prices of commodities are marked.
At time
the psychology of buying and selling do come
into play. The other day I went to an
electrical shop that is not so popular to
buy a 3D glass. I very well know the
overhead expenditure is high and the sale
would not give big profit. Things must be
sold everyday.
The
salesgirl quoted me a much higher price when
I first bought the glass. I said I did not
need the spectacle badly and would not buy
it at the new price. I was willing to
pay at the old price.
I noticed
the salesperson with a worried countenance.
She made several phone calls and finally
came back to me that she could sell at the
old price.
The shop
would either obtain a very small profit or
at no profit at all. So I told myself that
the classical economic concept of demand and
supply came into play after all.
|
FEAR OR
SCEPTICAL
They said North
Korea is incapable of going Hitech. When the nation
claimed she is currently producing cell-phone for
home use the South and the West are sceptical about
it. Probably they would it a bluff, and the same
time they will smuggle the phones out to examine the
make up and the design.
If the Koreans in
the North can go Hitech certainly it could make the
missile hardware more sophisticated. Someone just
could not sleep well thinking of the North Korean
capability.
|
GREAT MAN
NEVER YELL
At least I
know more than two men who got a US ticket
in amateur radio , passed in RAE and
CW were asked to resit for both RAE and CW
in Malaysia. They never protest, complaint,
seek the help of the lawyers or lobby for
the 9M tickets.
Aren't
they great men ? Those are the admirable
attitudes we are looking for in our hams.
14/08/2013 - Abdul Rahman Raof
WHY I FIND
LAWYERS ARE HILARIOUS
The
stories of lawyers sometime tickle me. Why
not, when I saw one lawyer ( I considered AG
is a lawyer too) sues another. When Karpal
Sign was brought to court, it had to be
under the advice of a lawyer. They were so
sure that he would be found guilty. But
Karpal said he merely quoted what was in the
constitution. He won because he was quoting
the words of law. Weren't those who helped
in bringing Karpal to court knew about the
law ?
Then I
watch a clip of Razak was trying to grill
Porntip. I asked myself how he became a
lawyer with such a command of English.
Indeed hilarious.
14/08/2013
- Abdul Rahman Raof
ROBINSON
CRUSOE
Robinson
Crusoe was not a poor man deserting on an
island his whole life. He was a wealthy
sailor and ended up as wealthy as ever. I
have finished reading his story from my
iPhone. Thanks to the iPhone in general and
to God inparticular in permitting me to
enjoy the technology which the ancient men
never ever dream of.
14/08/2013 - Abdul Rahman Raof |
|
DECISION
MAKING IS MONEY
An
institution, government or private, offices
or clubs would not move far without money.
To fill the organization with furniture and
men incur cost. To buy or not to buy, to
employ or not to employ, to travel or not to
travel, and ten thousand more questions are
questions of money.
Yet it is the
most sensitive thing because it is too very
attractive. People can kill, cheat and run
criminal activities to get it.
|
WHAT OUR
ELMERS TOLD US
1.
When someone is causing QRM on your
frequency pretend not to hear, say
nothing and do nothing. A long tuning or
continuous carrier to disturb you would
soon spoil his transceivers. So much the
better.
2.
Never tune on frequency used by people.
Go up or down a few KCs. Tune there and
come back to the frequency that you want
to communicate with.
3.
Press the PTT when talking. Release it
when stop talking or at pause. People
could break in even at the time of our
transmission.
4.
When somebody in the group chat is going
to sign, we keep it short. Pass to
everyone to bid him good bye. And when
someone break in to join the
conversation, pass the turn to him.
5.
Listen a few minutes before calling CQ
on frequency or even at the group QSO
before joining in. We will know the turn
and to whom we have to pass the
transmission to after our turn.
6. I
heard somebody commented he felt too old
when he was addressed as OM ( Old Man).
OM mean Buddy. To a lady we address as
Young Lady regardless of the age. Don't
feel bad when you hear someone address
you as OLD MAN.
15/08/2013 - Abdul Rahman Raof |
|
OPPORTUNITY COST
Economist coined the phrase Opportunity Cost to mean the
cost in term of a choice between the two opportunities.
Say you have the choices of either go to London or going
to Hong Kong, and you choose Hong Kong then the cost of
Hong Kong trip is London.
I
would always keep a small portion of my income for
traveling Each year I would enjoy myself going to see
places. The average total expenditure would be around
8K.
For
the last few years I was struck with a misfortune. My
wife's ability to walk halted after an operation for
peritoneal dialysis. And now she is on normal
blood dialysis three times a week, and it is only me who
is taking care of her, all my travel plans were
shattered.
What do I do with the travel savings ? Somehow the money
has to be spent as it was already rejected from my
saving from the beginning. I bought a Viva, priced at
24.5K, much more than my saving. Hence the cost of Viva
is the trip to South Africa.
Traveling has been my passion. It is not that someone
can see in my house as compared to a 14K sofa or a new
automatic washing machines. My last wish is to go back
to 205 Redbud Apartment, Indiana University,
Bloomington. I talked to my sick wife about it. She
forgets her being very sick and wanted to go too. I told
her that only she could stand and walk, I would talk to
the doctor about the trip. That she could not do.
I
asked my kids to apply for two week holiday, they just
smile. I know they would not be able to nurse her;
lifting and transferring her from her bed onto the wheel
chair and vice versa, or managing her bowel and other
essential chores. So it will remain as a dream.
Te
year end is approaching fast. By January we are going to
get some ASB dividend. What do I do with the money if I
do not go anywhere ? Again it is coming back to the
opportunity cost.
I
have got almost all that I want. There is no point to
buy an iPhone 5 when my iPhone 4 is serving me
faithfully. My Macbook too does not need further
enhancement. Ham gear ? I have almost what is necessary.
My
only frustration was the Viva which was supposed to be
used as a transport for dialysis is too high for the
wheel chair. It does not accommodate the transfer board.
The notion of buying another car is playing in my
imagination.
If
I go traveling then there will be no car, no new TV or
other visible stuff. The choice is the opportunity cost.
15/08/2013 - Abdul
Rahman Raof |
The last time I worked
Mazwan was on 20/12/2012. When he suddenly disappeared
I was thinking that someone might have convinced him not
to come on CW. I was quite surprise when he called me
today at 7026 GMT. After about one hour my co-ordination
went hay wire, found it difficult to send extra dit or
dah. I am better with the straight key as compared to
the electronic. Yet I have to go electronic for wanting
to go on a higher speed.
9Ms
are encouraged to sharpen their CW or else it will
become rusty in no time.
13/08/2013 - Abdul
Rahman Raof |
VICIOUS MOUTH GREAT DESTROYER
I
have come across persons with vicious mouth, loud at
criticizing the others, calling people by names, crude,
ruthless and parasites but when voted to hold a post and
given tasks to run the show which they were insulting
much, destroyed the whole system.
It
happened in my school where two teachers were so pompous
lashing and criticizing those were in charge of school's
corporative body. In the democratic votes they were
chosen to run the club.
A
short time later a statement of account belonging to the
corporative was accidently opened up and found the bank
statement was negative. On investigation by a board of
teachers at least RM7000 was missing. The loud voice
teacher was running his own business abetted by the
other crooked one.
Before reporting to BPR my boss wanted me to settle the
case amicably by asking them to pay back the amount
lost. Both agreed to pay by installment. The two
non-graduate teachers had left a big impact on the whole
good name of the profession.
That was not the only one. There were many other
institutions with such people, with vicious and foul
tongue who only know how to criticize and talking cock
their whole lives.
In
my view such rogue and good for nothing people should be
vanished from the earth surface. But before this is done
they must be severely tortured days and nights, putting
fire ants in their mouths.
It
will be alright if they run the system very well after
being given the tasks.
Watch out for people who are vocal at meetings, who
criticize everything what others did were all wrong.
Know them before you elect them for a post, or giving
them in charge of money matters. The best is not to
elect those who talk so loud in the meeting.
Democracy can be harmful in this manner. Bad people can
be elected as leaders and Ministers. They can call
people pig and shit but you can't call them even by the
word bastard. They will be fumed and yell louder with
the viciousness of their dirty mouths.
14/08/2013 - Abdul
Rahman Raof |
KEDAH MB
It
is too early to tell. But
after the takeover
of the post by Mukhriz I would say the
current team is much
smarter than Azizan's. First the pictures
of the new MB with
the Ulama and Malay attires had captured
the imagination of the
Malays that he is not a person of arrogance.
Second there were
words that went round of
his quick actions
on critical matters.
The
ongoing activities in the state like the Bicara Ilmu and
others are organized by his team to keep the constant
afloat of Mukhriz sparkling image. With the current
trend the popularity of the MB will rise among the Malay
communities.
We
began to talk about Ustaz running institutions and
arrived at similar conclusion. It is not about PAS or
UMNO but about the content of the mind, the science and
political knowledge, the use of reasons and logic and
the multi focus 360 degree vision.
My
stand on Mukhriz depend on how much more agricultural
land will be reduced.
And also whether the
water catchment area will be cleared for housing
projects. Mukriz and his team must balance between the
security of the nation and the support of the greedy
business community to gain the votes.
There should not be compromise on food and water. USA
and China will not say 'lets buy food from other
countries...' Agriculture is a national security. I
would not support for such a negligence. Other people
may show their support just by the dress and the words
they hear.
By
the look the new MB will also be favored by the
opposition party members as compared to Azizan. As for
now the governing of the state that is more important.
The welfare of the people regardless of their creeds,
races and political beliefs must be treated equally.
Taxes are not only paid by UMNO members.
I
also believe that what God gives to the human beings
must not be snatched from the people and charged major
fees to use them. It is quite disturbing to threaten the
people of Penang for the use of river water in Kedah.
Kindness and fairness would be met with a great reward
both by God and by men. I can only wish the best of luck
to the new MB.
14/08/2013 - Abdul
Rahman Raof |
SELF
BUILDING
I
don't mean to brag. You may have the same experience as
I am. Most of us are deficient in many ways. I was
stupid and lazy at school. My English never crossed a
pass mark. And I was a real dumb.
If
you notice the number of lines in the codes below you
can imagine the effort I had put in. Some soft wares
exceeds 2000 lines of codes. And there was no computer
during my school days. How then I could develop
application soft wares, including communication programs
?
I
began to learn that begging is a hindrance to progress.
It makes people lazy and will continue to depend on
others
forever. The only way to progress is to work hard, labor
to procure goodies and services. People tend to value hard
work ethics.
I
told myself that it is not too late to educate myself.
And later I found other people have been doing that a long
time ago. Teach Yourself books were on the shelves and made available in the
markets, and they are telling people that self-education
is possible.
What we can't teach ourselves, among other things, is
heart operation and transplant.
A
friend of mine taught himself Morse codes, overhauled
his car engine, construct a radio mast, homebrewed a
Yagi antenna and pursued a Master degree. Though he is a
bright person, he put effort and labored himself for prodigies.
I
believe that positive thinking, hard work and good
attitudes are accoutered for survival. They are
essential assets. Those who begged
for favor are bad collateral for the nation, under
whatever
reasons and excuses. They drag away the resilience of
the citizens.
My
programming standard is low. For a blind man I pride
myself for using my own product. I am nor schooled in
electronics nor computer. If others can self built
themselves why can't us, me and you ?
12/08/2013 - Abdul
Rahman Raof |
ARGUING OVER HEARSAY
A
long time ago I was told that one Minister was a meter
reader. I believed him straight away because I was very
well aware of Exco-Members with SRP qualification.
Furthermore I already have a pre-conceive idea of people
involving in politics.
Today a friend made a Hari Raya visit, and we started
talking about politics, covering from corruptions to
Ministers qualification. When I mentioned about the
meter reader, he challenged me to check the bio data
from the internet, which I dismissed as lies.
From one Minister we jumped to examine another,
analyzing each of them as if we were great expert. We
both agree on the problem of religious graduates on
managing the country and other institutions, giving
focus on the issue of financial issues.
On
the issue of the meter reader he asked me to make
further investigation. It was a mere hearsay. And I
will. And I asked him to check the status of another
Minister's education.
The
value of a highly educated politicians is in the
intellectuality of the arguments and statements issued.
It opens a mind to a broad thinking, considering every
detail and aspect of issues at stake.
But
education in itself does not guarantee an effective
leadership. Leaders who are responsive are more popular.
The limitation is the availability of resources. Many
voters go for money not for educated politicians.
Ministers are good or bad not because of their education
but on their services to the people, not to their
friends and families.
Before my friend went home, I commented about his wife
as a strong UMNO member and him being a strong PAS man.
His wife responded saying that he was a strong UMNO man
because he forbid his brothers and sisters from voting
for PAS.
Both of us have an assignment to do; to check the
background of a few Ministers concern.
12/08/2013 - Abdul
Rahman Raof |
YD STATION BROKE
IN TO PASS A REMARK
I was
having a chat with Aimil when a YD station broke in to
say I cause splatter on 7.045. I did not say they were
causing splatter on 7.043. Instead I told him that I was
on 7.043 since year 2002.
The
stations from Borneo took 7.045 only recently as their
campsite.
SLEEPING WITH
FOREIGNERS ?
At any time I choose
Malaysians to foreigners. We have been living together
long enough to know each other. Despite the effort of
the politicians to divide us we still intermingle with
each other without racial hatred. I felt different when
seeing foreigners, even of the similar language and
creed. If you have been observing them long enough you
will begin to understand their opportunistic behaviors.
I just don't feel safe with them compared to the fellow
Malaysians.
It was my several
experiences that developed into my distrusts against
them.
PASSING
TRANSMISSION IN HAM RADIO
Passing transmission in
ham radio is by mentioning our counter part call sign
and followed by our own. That is enough. Some added the
word 'over' or 'go ahead' after it. The usage is of
convenience.
Passing transmission
using 'roger' is not appropriate and commonly used by
other radio hobbies or pirates. Mixing CB or Pirate
Style in ham radio indicate a rapid deterioration in ham
radio.
If such a practice occur
you know whom to blame.
WHERE
THE 9M2 GOES THEY GO
I have long observed
wherever the 9M2 put up a campsite on 40 meter soon
enough some others will come to sit and setup their
camps, or near to it. Trace back the frequencies and
frequencies for the net the Malaysians were on the
moving paths, going up and down, so much so there is a
need to go above 7.1 which is not allowed by the
authority. There are time when we need to talk only
among ourselves, and of course time to talk to all. We
have to learn when and when not to intrude or interrupt
into a conversation. |
E-QSL
E-QSL
is less simple. Again it is a street programming style.
The form contains two modules as shown by the image and
the codes.
<html>
<head>
<title>New Page 1</title>
</head>
<frameset framespacing="0" border="0" frameborder="0"
rows="11%,*">
<frame name="top" src="kad1.asp" scrolling="auto"
target="bottom">
<frame name="bottom" src="kad2.asp" scrolling="auto">
<noframes>
<body>
<p>This page uses frames, but your browser doesn't
support them.</p>
</body>
</noframes>
</frameset>
</html>
The code
in kad1.asp is as follows
<head>
<base target="_self">
</head>
<body bgcolor="#CCFF99">
<form action="kad2.asp" method="post" target="bottom">
<table border="0" width="100%">
<tr>
<td width="441" valign="top"><b>Enter Your Callsign </b>
<font face="Courier New">
<input type="text" name="CALL" value="<%=request("CALL")%>"
size="16">
</font>
<input type="SUBMIT" value=" Click " name="SUBMIT"> <b><font
face="Book Antiqua">Date</font></b><font face="Courier
New"><input type="text" name="rek" value="<%=request("rek")%>"
size="8"><br></font>
<font face="Book Antiqua"><b>
<font size="2">Date
is optional. Only if you want the card to display on
that date</font></b></font></td>
<td width="392">
<img border="0" src="9m2arl4.jpg" width="383"
height="69"></td>
<td> </td>
<td> </td>
</tr>
</table>
<table border="0" width="100%" cellspacing="0"
cellpadding="0">
<tr>
<td width="65%" height="1"></td>
</tr>
</table>
</font></td>
</html>
The codes
in kad2.asp is as follows
<html>
<form action="kad2.asp" method="POST" style="border: 0
solid #000000">
<%
on error resume next
'Session.LCID =4105
dim
numfield,CAL,nam3,DAT2,ada,yak,fail,ayat,namafail,myurl,bill,conn2,conn,ssb,fm,cw,conn3
CAL=request("call")
ayat=request("rek")
'on error resume next
Set Conn2 = Server.CreateObject("ADODB.Connection")
Provider = "Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;"
DBPath1 = "Data Source=" & Server.mappath("\BUKULOG.mdb")
& ";" 'line10
Conn2.open Provider&DBPath1
if len(trim(ayat))>0 then
SQL2 = "select * from BUKUlog where ucase(callsign) like
'" & UCASE(CAL) & "' and date like '" & trim(ayat) & "'"
else
SQL2 = "select * from BUKUlog where ucase(callsign) like
'" & UCASE(CAL) & "'"
end if
Set RS2 = Server.CreateObject("ADODB.Recordset")
RS2.OPEN SQL2,CONN2,3 ''2,2
Set RS2 = Server.CreateObject("ADODB.Recordset")
RS2.Source = SQL2
Set RS2.Activeconnection = Conn2
RS2.CursorType = 3 'KeySet
RS2.LockType = 2 'Pesimistic
RS.LockType = 2 'Pesimistic
RS2.OPEN SQL2,CONN2,3
response.write rs2.recordcount
rs2.movelast
RESPONSE.WRITE " DATA "
rs3.close
%>
<table border="0" width="100%">
<tr>
<td width="600" height="341" valign="top">
<body bgcolor="#CCFF99">
<input type="text" style="border:0 solid #FFFF00;
position:absolute;top:157;left:153;width:154px; font-weight:bold;
background-color:#FFFF00" name="q1" value="Confirming
QSO With" size="11"><input type="text" style="border:0
solid #FFFF00;
position:absolute;top:185;left:239;width:67px; font-weight:bold;
background-color:#FFFF00" name="q2" value="DATE"
size="11"><input type="text" style="border:0 solid
#FFFF00; position:absolute;top:235;left:239;width:67px;
font-weight:bold; background-color:#FFFF00" name="FREQ"
value="FREQ" size="11"><input type="text"
style="border:0 solid #FFFF00;
position:absolute;top:211;left:239;width:67px; font-weight:bold;
background-color:#FFFF00" name="q3" value="TIME"
size="11"><input type="text" style="border:0 solid
#FFFF00; position:absolute;top:260;left:239;width:67px;
font-weight:bold; background-color:#FFFF00" name="FREQ0"
value="MODE" size="11"><input type="text"
style="border:0 solid #FFFF00;
position:absolute;top:285;left:238;width:67px; font-weight:bold;
background-color:#FFFF00" name="FREQ1" value="NAME"
size="11"><input type="text" style="border:0 solid
#FFFF00; position:absolute;top:311;left:238;width:67px;
font-weight:bold; background-color:#FFFF00" name="FREQ2"
value="HIS RST" size="11"><input type="text"
style="border:0 solid #FFFF00;
position:absolute;top:336;left:236;width:67px; font-weight:bold;
background-color:#FFFF00" name="FREQ3" value="MY RST"
size="11"><input type="text" style="border:0 solid
#FFFF00; position:absolute;top:363;left:235;width:67px;
font-weight:bold; background-color:#FFFF00" name="FREQ4"
value="QTH" size="11"><img border="0" src="qslcard4.jpg"
width="620" height="376"><br><p>
<font size="1"><font color="#0000FF">Validate the print
via http://9m2ar.com/qslcard.htm
</font>
<input style="border:0 solid #000000;
position:absolute;top:156;left:318;width:115px;
color:#FFFF00; background-color:#000000; font-weight:bold"
name="t1" value="<%=rs2(5)%>" size="11"><font
color="#0000FF">
</font>
<input style="border:0 solid #000000;
position:absolute;top:183;left:317;width:115px;
color:#FFFF00; background-color:#000000; font-weight:bold"
name="t2" value="<%=rs2(0)%>" size="11"><font
color="#0000FF">
</font>
<input style="border:0 solid #000000;
position:absolute;top:208;left:317;width:115px;
color:#FFFF00; background-color:#000000; font-weight:bold"
name="t3" value="<%=rs2(1)%>" size="11"><font
color="#0000FF">
</font>
<input style="border:0 solid #000000;
position:absolute;top:233;left:316;width:115px;
color:#FFFF00; background-color:#000000; font-weight:bold"
name="t4" value="<%=rs2(4)%>" size="11"><font
color="#0000FF">
</font>
<font face="serif">
<input style="border:0 solid #000000;
position:absolute;top:258;left:316;width:115px;
color:#FFFF00; background-color:#000000;
font-weight:700" name="t5" value="<%=rs2(3)%>"
size="11"></font><font color="#0000FF">
</font>
<font face="serif">
<input style="border:0 solid #000000;
position:absolute;top:283;left:316;width:115px;
color:#FFFF00; background-color:#000000;
font-weight:700" name="t6" value="<%=rs2(6)%>"
size="20"></font><font color="#0000FF">
</font>
<font face="serif">
<input style="border:0 solid #000000;
position:absolute;top:308;left:316;width:115px;
color:#FFFF00; background-color:#000000;
font-weight:700" name="t7" value="<%=rs2(7)%>"
size="11"></font><font color="#0000FF">
</font>
<font face="serif">
<input style="border:0 solid #000000;
position:absolute;top:333;left:316;width:115px;
color:#FFFF00; background-color:#000000;
font-weight:700" name="t8" value="<%=rs2(8)%>"
size="11"></font><font color="#0000FF">
</font>
<font face="serif">
<input style="border:0 solid #000000;
position:absolute;top:360;left:316;width:115px;
color:#FFFF00; background-color:#000000;
font-weight:700" name="t9" value="<%=rs2(12)%>"
size="20"></font><font color="#0000FF">
</font></font>
<td height="341" valign="top" width="346">
<%RS2.MOVElast
dim yak1
YAK="":ssb=0:fm=0:cw=0:yak1=""
DO UNTIL RS2.bOF
if left(ucase(rs2("mode")),3)="SSB" then ssb=ssb+1
if left(ucase(rs2("mode")),2)="CW" then cw=cw+1
if left(ucase(rs2("mode")),2)="FM" then fm=fm+1
YAK=YAK & left(RS2(5)+space(10),8) & " " &
LEFT(RS2(0)+SPACE(10),9)+" " & left(RS2(1)+space(10),8)
& " " & left(rs2("mode")+space(10),4) & CHR(13)
RS2.MOVEprevious
LOOP
yak1="SSB - " & ssb & " : CW - " & cw & " : FM - " & fm
& chr(13)
yak=yak1+yak
rs2.close
rs2=nothing
%>
<textarea rows="19" name="S1" cols="38"
style="background-color: #CCFF99; font-family:Courier
New"><%=YAK%></textarea></td>
<td height="341" width="261"> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="600">
<%
RESPONSE.WRITE CAL
Set Conn = Server.CreateObject("ADODB.Connection")
Provider = "Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;"
DBPath = "Data Source=" & Server.mappath("\callbook\log.mdb")
& ";" 'line10
Conn.open Provider&DBPath
SQL = "select * from log"
Set RS = Server.CreateObject("ADODB.Recordset")
RS.Source = SQL
Set RS.Activeconnection = Conn
RS.CursorType = 3 'KeySet
RS.LockType = 2 'Pesimistic
RS.OPEN SQL,CONN,3
IF LEN(TRIM(CAL))>0 THEN 'line 20
rs.addnew
rs(0)=CAL
rs(1)=request.servervariables("REMOTE_ADDR")
rs(2)=date
rs(3)=time
rs.update
END IF
rs.close
RS=NOTHING
%><b>
<font size="2">If you need a QSL card, you can get it
printed by
using the printer of the browser. Beneath the QSL card
image is the list
of our QSOs. If you want the card of a certain date only
to be printed
please enter the date as seen and your call sign in the
above box.Then
click the button.</font></b><p align="justify"><font
size="2">The date in my card may not be the same as your
card for several reasons. My date will be one day ahead
of yours because
I am about 8 hours ahead of GMT zone. Secondly my
computer time is not
adjusted properly or the CMOS is giving us problem
without our
knowledge.</font></p>
<p align="justify"><font size="2">However I am trying to
set my logbook program
according to the GMT time.</font></p>
<p align="justify"><font size="2">Also my database is
not up to date because on
several occasion I forgot to make a backup when the
virus were causing
havoc.</font><p align="justify"><font size="2">On
drawback about this web card is the
appearance of the card would be distorted as you reduced
the width of
the browser.</font> </td>
<td width="346"> </td>
<td> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="600"> </td>
<td width="346"> </td>
<td> </td>
</tr>
</table>
</html>
If you
have interest to experiment, just try the codes. You are
at liberty to change and modify them without any copy
right restriction. I got the knowledge for free.
11/08/2013 - Abdul
Rahman Raof
|
MY
LOGGING AT THE SERVER
I
don't make a fancy and stylish form for the logging
because I felt it was just for myself and nobody is
going to look at it.
The
code for this form is shown below. Choose your own file
name to save it.
Te
same form is used for editing and the entry of the new
data.
<HTML>
<head>
<base target="_self">
</head>
<body bgcolor="#CCFF99" topmargin="0">
<form action="yourownfile.asp" method="post"
target="bottom">
<table border="0" width="95%" cellspacing="0"
cellpadding="0">
<tr>
<td width="44%" rowspan="3" valign="top">
<b>Enter Your Callsign </b>
<font face="Courier New">
<input type="text" name="CALL" value="<%=request("CALL")%>"
size="13">
</font>
<input type="SUBMIT" value=" Click " name="SUBMIT"> <font
face="Book Antiqua"><b> Enter
Date</b></font><font face="Courier New"><input
type="text" name="rek" value="<%=request("rek")%>"
size="8"><input type="checkbox" name="check" value="ON"
checked><br>
<font size="2">To edit any record uncheck the checkbox
and enter the calsign and
the record number.</font></font></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="56%" height="30" bgcolor="#CCFF99">
<font face="Book Antiqua" size="7"
color="#FF0000"><b>New Logging</b></font></tr>
<tr>
<td width="56%" height="1"></td>
</tr>
</table>
</font></td>
</html>
The
yourfile.asp has a form as shown below. The total codes
is seen below the picture. These codes contain for the
new data to be added, for editing and deletion.
<HTML>
<body bgcolor="#CCFF99">
<form action="yourownfile.asp" method="post"
target=bottom>
<%dim NOMBOR,nom2,CAL,CHET
CHET=request("check")
if trim(CHET)<>"ON" then CHET="OFF"
NOMBOR=request("nobil")
cal=request("CALL")
ayat=request("rek")
if request("SUBMIT")=" Add Data " then
'on error resume next
Set Conn2 = Server.CreateObject("ADODB.Connection")
Provider = "Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;"
DBPath1 = "Data Source=" & Server.mappath("\BUKULOG.mdb")
& ";" 'line10
Conn2.open Provider&DBPath1
SQL2 = "select * from BUKUlog" ' where ucase(callsign)
like '" & UCASE(CAL) & "' and date like '" & trim(ayat)
& "'"
Set RS2 = Server.CreateObject("ADODB.Recordset")
RS2.OPEN SQL2,CONN2,3 ''2,2
Set RS2 = Server.CreateObject("ADODB.Recordset")
RS2.Source = SQL2
Set RS2.Activeconnection = Conn2
RS2.CursorType = 3 'KeySet
RS2.LockType = 2 'Pesimistic
RS2.OPEN SQL2,CONN2,3
Session.LCID = 2057 '4105
Dim a, b, c, d, e, date1,text3,text4
Dim masa
Text3 =time ' Format(Time, "HH:mm")
date1 = date
If Left(Time, 2) > 7 And Left(Time, 2) < 24 Then b =
Abs(8 - Left(Time, 2)): date1 = date
If Left(Time, 2) < 8 And Left(Time, 2) > -1 Then b = 16
+ left(Time, 2): date1 = date-1
a = Mid(Time, 4, 2)
If a = 0 Then b = b + 1
If b = 24 And a = 0 Then b = 0
if len(b)=1 then b="0" & b
if len(a)=1 then a="0" & a
e = b & a 'Format(b, "00") + Format(a, "00")
'If Len(Trim(e)) = 2 Then e = "00" + e
nom2=left(date1,2)+"/"+mid(date1,4,2)+"/"+right(date1,2)
rs2.addnew
rs2(0)= nom2 'DATE1 'request("t2") 'DATE
rs2(1)= e 'request("t3") 'time
IF LEN(LTRIM(TRIM(REQUEST("T5"))))=0 THEN
RS2(3)=p1 '"-"
ELSE
rs2(3)= ucase(REQUEST("T5")) 'MODE e 'time
END IF
IF LEN(LTRIM(TRIM(REQUEST("T4"))))=0 THEN
RS2(4)=p2 '"-"
ELSE
rs2(4)=request("t4")
END IF
IF LEN(LTRIM(TRIM(REQUEST("T6"))))=0 THEN
RS2(6)="-"
ELSE
RS2(6)=REQUEST("T6")
END IF
rs2(5)=REQUEST("CALLSIGN1") ' UCASE(request("t1")) 'CALLSIGN
IF LEN(LTRIM(TRIM(REQUEST("T7"))))=0 THEN
RS2(7)="-"
ELSE
rs2(7)=request("t7")
END IF
IF LEN(LTRIM(TRIM(REQUEST("T8"))))=0 THEN
RS2(8)="-"
ELSE
rs2(8)=request("t8")
END IF
IF LEN(LTRIM(TRIM(REQUEST("T9"))))=0 THEN
RS2(12)="-"
ELSE
rs2(12)=request("t9")
END IF
rs2.update
rs2.close
end if
if request("SUBMIT")=" Update " then
Set Conn2 = Server.CreateObject("ADODB.Connection")
Provider = "Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;"
DBPath1 = "Data Source=" & Server.mappath("\BUKULOG.mdb")
& ";" 'line10
Conn2.open Provider&DBPath1
SQL2 = "select * from BUKUlog WHERE BIL LIKE '" &
REQUEST("T10") & "'" ' where ucase(callsign) like '" &
UCASE(CAL) & "' and date like '" & trim(ayat) & "'"
Set RS2 = Server.CreateObject("ADODB.Recordset")
'RS2.OPEN SQL2,CONN2,3 ''2,2
'Set RS2 = Server.CreateObject("ADODB.Recordset")
RS2.Source = SQL2
Set RS2.Activeconnection = Conn2
RS2.CursorType = 3 'KeySet
RS2.LockType = 2 'Pesimistic
RS2.OPEN SQL2,CONN2,3
response.write rs2("bil") & " " & rs2(6)
rs2(5)=ucase(request("t1")) 'callsign
rs2(0)=request("t2") 'date
rs2(1)=request("t3") 'time
rs2(4)=request("t4") 'freq
rs2(3)=ucase(request("t5")) 'mode
rs2(6)=ucase(request("t6")) 'name
rs2(7)=request("t7") 'his rst
rs2(8)=request("t8") 'my rst
rs2(12)=ucase(request("t9")) 'qth
rs2.update
rs2.close
end if
if request("SUBMIT")=" Delete " then
on error resume next
Set Conn2 = Server.CreateObject("ADODB.Connection")
Provider = "Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;"
DBPath1 = "Data Source=" & Server.mappath("\BUKULOG.mdb")
& ";" 'line10
Conn2.open Provider&DBPath1
SQL2 = "delete * from BUKUlog where ucase(callsign) like
'%" & ucase(request("T1")) & "%' and date like
'%"+request("t2")+"%' and time like
'%"+request("t3")+"%'"
Set RS2 = Server.CreateObject("ADODB.Recordset")
RS2.OPEN SQL2,CONN2,3 ''2,2
Set RS2 = Server.CreateObject("ADODB.Recordset")
RS2.Source = SQL2
Set RS2.Activeconnection = Conn2
RS2.CursorType = 3 'KeySet
RS2.LockType = 2 'Pesimistic
RS2.OPEN SQL2,CONN2,3
rs2.movelast
rs2.close
end if
if request("SUBMIT")<>" Add Data " and request("submit")<>"
Delete " and request("SUBMIT")<>" Update " and
len(trim(cal)) > 0 then
on error resume next
'Session.LCID =4105
dim
numfield,nam3,DAT2,ada,yak,fail,ayat,namafail,myurl,bill,conn2,conn
'CAL=request("call")
'ayat=request("rek")
'on error resume next
Set Conn2 = Server.CreateObject("ADODB.Connection")
Provider = "Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;"
DBPath1 = "Data Source=" & Server.mappath("\BUKULOG.mdb")
& ";" 'line10
Conn2.open Provider&DBPath1
if len(trim(ayat))>0 then SQL2 = "select * from BUKUlog
where bil like '" & trim(ayat) & "'"
if len(trim(ayat))=0 and ucase(cal)="ALL" then SQL2 =
"select * from BUKUlog"
if len(trim(ayat))=0 and ucase(cal)<>"ALL" and
CHET="OFF" then SQL2="select * from bukulog where
ucase(callsign) like '%" & UCASE(CAL) & "%'" '
if len(trim(ayat))=0 and ucase(cal)<>"ALL" and CHET="ON"
then SQL2="select * from bukulog where ucase(callsign)
like '" & UCASE(CAL) & "'"
'end if
Set RS2 = Server.CreateObject("ADODB.Recordset")
RS2.OPEN SQL2,CONN2,3 ''2,2
Set RS2 = Server.CreateObject("ADODB.Recordset")
RS2.Source = SQL2
Set RS2.Activeconnection = Conn2
RS2.CursorType = 3 'KeySet
RS2.LockType = 2 'Pesimistic
RS2.OPEN SQL2,CONN2,3
response.write rs2.recordcount
rs2.movelast
nobil=rs2("bil")
%>
<p>
<input type="text" style="border:0 solid #FFFF00;
position:absolute;top:335;left:419;width:177px;
color:#000000; background-color:#FFFF00; font-size:24pt;
font-weight:bold; height:51px" name="CALLSIGN1"
value="<%=ucase(REQUEST("CALL"))%>" size="20"></p>
<table border="0" width="100%">
<tr>
<td width="602" height="341" valign="top">
<body>
<%p1=rs2(4)
p2=s2(3)
%>
<input type="text" style="border:0 solid #FFFF00;
position:absolute;top:47;left:19;width:91px;
background-color:#FFFF00" name="t10" value="<%=rs2("bil")%>"
size="11"><input type="text" style="border:0 solid
#FFFF00; position:absolute;top:363;left:235;width:67px;
font-weight:bold; background-color:#FFFF00" name="FREQ4"
value="QTH" size="11"><input type="text" style="border:0
solid #FFFF00;
position:absolute;top:157;left:164;width:140px; font-weight:bold;
background-color:#FFFF00" name="q1" value="Confirming
QSO With" size="11"><input type="text" style="border:0
solid #FFFF00;
position:absolute;top:183;left:239;width:67px; font-weight:bold;
background-color:#FFFF00" name="q2" value="DATE"
size="11"><input type="text" style="border:0 solid
#FFFF00; position:absolute;top:210;left:239;width:67px;
font-weight:bold; background-color:#FFFF00" name="q3"
value="TIME" size="11"><input type="text"
style="border:0 solid #FFFF00;
position:absolute;top:235;left:239;width:67px; font-weight:bold;
background-color:#FFFF00" name="FREQ" value="FREQ"
size="11"><input type="text" style="border:0 solid
#FFFF00; position:absolute;top:260;left:239;width:67px;
font-weight:bold; background-color:#FFFF00" name="FREQ0"
value="MODE" size="11"><input type="text"
style="border:0 solid #FFFF00;
position:absolute;top:336;left:236;width:67px; font-weight:bold;
background-color:#FFFF00" name="FREQ3" value="MY RST"
size="11"><input type="text" style="border:0 solid
#FFFF00; position:absolute;top:311;left:238;width:67px;
font-weight:bold; background-color:#FFFF00" name="FREQ2"
value="HIS RST" size="11"><input type="text"
style="border:0 solid #FFFF00;
position:absolute;top:285;left:238;width:67px; font-weight:bold;
background-color:#FFFF00" name="FREQ1" value="NAME"
size="11"><img border="0" src="qslcard4.jpg" width="600"
height="356">
<input type="text"
style="position:absolute;top:155;left:313;width:98px"
name="t1" value="<%=rs2(5)%>" size="12">
<input type="text"
style="position:absolute;top:183;left:313;width:98px"
name="t2" value="<%=rs2(0)%>" size="12">
<input type="text"
style="position:absolute;top:210;left:315;width:98px"
name="t3" value="<%=rs2(1)%>" size="12">
<input type="text"
style="position:absolute;top:237;left:314;width:98px"
name="t4" value="<%=rs2(4)%>">
<input type="text"
style="position:absolute;top:263;left:314;width:96px"
name="t5" value="<%=rs2(3)%>" size="12">
<input type="text"
style="position:absolute;top:288;left:314;width:94px"
name="t6" value="<%=rs2(6)%>" size="12">
<input type="text"
style="position:absolute;top:312;left:315;width:95px"
name="t7" value="<%=rs2(7)%>" size="12">
<input type="text"
style="position:absolute;top:338;left:315;width:96px"
name="t8" value="<%=rs2(8)%>" size="12">
<input type="text"
style="position:absolute;top:364;left:315;width:96px"
name="t9" value="<%=rs2(12)%>" size="12">
<td height="341" valign="top">
<%
RS2.MOVElast 'FIRST
YAK=""
dim yak1,ssb,cw,fm
YAK="":ssb=0:fm=0:cw=0:yak1=""
DO UNTIL RS2.bOF
if left(ucase(rs2("mode")),3)="SSB" then ssb=ssb+1
if left(ucase(rs2("mode")),2)="CW" then cw=cw+1
if left(ucase(rs2("mode")),2)="FM" then fm=fm+1
YAK=YAK & left(RS2(5)+space(10),8) & " " &
LEFT(RS2(0)+SPACE(10),9)+" " & left(RS2(1)+space(10),8)
& " " & left(rs2("mode")+space(10),4) & " " & rs2("bil")
& CHR(13)
RS2.MOVEprevious 'NEXT
LOOP
yak1="SSB - " & ssb & " : CW - " & cw & " : FM - " & fm
& chr(13)
yak=yak1+yak
rs2.close
rs2=nothing
end if
%>
<textarea rows="19" name="S1" cols="44"
style="background-color: #CCFF99; font-family:Courier
New"><%=YAK%></textarea></td>
<td height="341"> </td>
</tr>
<table border="0" width="51%" cellspacing="0"
cellpadding="0">
<tr>
<td width="34%" height="68" valign="top">
<p><font face="Book Antiqua"><b> <a
href="http://qrz.com/callsign/<%=cal%>">QRZ</a>
</b></font>
<b><font face="Book Antiqua"> </font></b><b><font
face="Book Antiqua"> </font></b><b><font
face="Book Antiqua"> </font></b></p>
</td>
<td width="8%" height="68" valign="top">
<font face="Book Antiqua"><b><input type="SUBMIT"
value=" Update " name="SUBMIT" style="float:
left"></b></font></td>
<td width="10%" height="68" valign="top">
<font face="Book Antiqua"><b>
<input type="submit" value=" Add Data " name="SUBMIT"
style="float: left"></b></font></td>
<td width="12%" height="68" valign="top">
<font face="Book Antiqua"><b>
<input type="SUBMIT" value=" Delete " name="SUBMIT"
style="float: left"></b></font></td>
<td width="9%" rowspan="5" valign="top">
</td>
<td width="1%" valign="top" height="68">
<p align="justify"> <p align="justify"> </td>
<td width="1%" height="68"> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="88%" rowspan="4" valign="top" colspan="4">
</td>
<td width="1%" rowspan="4" valign="top"> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="1%" height="307" valign="top">
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="1%" height="30"> </tr>
<tr>
<td width="1%" height="1"></td>
</tr>
</table>
That's
so much for the logging. For eqsl the codes are not so
much complicated. Watch for the next write up.
11/08/2013 - Abdul
Rahman Raof
|
AT
THE JOGGING TRACK
At
the jogging track I went to about 70% were Chinese at
the scene, of
all ages and sexes. 29% were Malays and the rest were of
other races. In term of strength and stamina I am at the
scale of one compared to them at the 195 out of 200.
There were always a group of Malay youths of male and
female, loitering around with their motorbikes at full
throttle, some without helmets.
In
one area there are the Sepak Raga group comprising of
elderly Malays who enjoy kicking the ball so it won't
fall to the ground. It needs concentration and skill. At
the end of the day they were sweating like mad .
The
impression I get was the Chinese is stronger, healthier
and fitter. Of course I would be dead wrong.
As
healthy mind is in the healthy body it follows that
those who keep themselves fit are always alert. Minds
that think could built a strong community of people,
with an enhanced survival rate.
My
jogging hours is being spelled by the inevitable chores
of nursing my wife and confined by her dialysis time
period. Nowadays the completion of dialysis is at 5.30 -
6.00 pm. Yesterday I had to go out at 6.30 for my
exercise.
At
my age I do not contribute any to the country however
alert my mind is. Healthy heads on the younger
generations would indirectly benefit the nation, mainly
in aspect of National Domestic Products.
Jogging tracks, like playing fields, could pull young
people from drugs and hooliganism. It could release
tensions and emotional stress. Believe me, if Ibrahim
Ali goes for a two hour running exercise everyday his mouth
will be softer in tone.
11/08/2013 - Abdul
Rahman Raof |
STAND UP AND SAY SOMETHING
Those born in the world of chaos will not realize
abnormalities of the environment because they were not
exposed to orders and never knew what orders mean.
A
right or a wrong is meaningless without each other. A
right has to be seen and identified before a wrong is
recognized. Similarly a future cannot be predict without
a base; past and present. Future is a dynamic of a
trend.
Hence people who start to know ham radio in the world of
chaos will not sense the tribulation. The inter
migration of styles and terms between CB, pirates and
the hams is considered normal. To people who are used to
ham rituals will see such things as unhealthy practice.
No
matter how big one amass the support to approve the
wrong to be right, it will never change the face of the
errors and the wrongdoings. The character of absolute
right and wrong is revealed and divine.
Senior hams must stand and speak out rather than
collaborating with the those group, just to get
popularity, and possibility favors. Condoning chaos to
gain material or economic return is indeed a corrupt
practice.
It
is not wrong to use a CB language but use it in CB. Use
and do anything but it has to be within the fraternity.
Freedom is both ways; if you have a freedom to say
anything, there is a freedom for people not to hear
something abnormal. You don't go into people's house and
tell them don't hear what you were shouting there.
At
one time one 9W was talking to 40 meter to an Indonesian
full pledge ham. Every now and then he would say 'di
copy...di monitor...' Though it was a field day station
it was not a welcoming SOP as it was a full pledge
pirate lingo.
It
is your duty to protect the sanctity of amateur radio
from pollution and abuse. Stand up and say something.
12/08/2013 - Abdul
Rahman Raof |
I am glad to meet new 9M who are from the
higher learning institutions. I am sure they
are there through their own struggle, not
with the help of a third person.
|
Once
again I have to apologize my publishing
codes in street manner. I have no
computer training akin to a radio pirate
without the RAE.
If you
need to keep data in a server you have
to decide to use MDB or MySql. In my
case I keep my logging data using MDB. I
keep the data in the root directory of
the server.
The code
below is to access my data from the
bukulog.mdb
Set Conn2
= Server.CreateObject("ADODB. Connect
ion")
Provider =
"Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;" DB
Path1 = "Data Source=" & Server.mappath("\BUKU
LOG. mdb") & ";"
Conn2.open Provider&DBPath1
SQL2 = "select * from BUKULOG" ' where
ucase(callsign) like '" & UCASE(CAL) &
"' and date like '" & trim(ayat) & "'"
Set RS2 =
Server.CreateObject("ADODB.Recordset")
RS2.OPEN SQL2,CONN2,3 ''2,2
Set RS2 =
Server.CreateObject("ADODB.Recordset")
RS2.Source = SQL2
Set RS2.Activeconnection = Conn2
RS2.CursorType = 3 'KeySet
RS2.LockType = 2 'Pesimistic
RS2.OPEN SQL2,CONN2,3
The above
code connects to the logging file
BUKULOG.mdb and at the same time
searching for previous data of the
callsign entered. The callsign is
entered in a different module, which
simpler and shorter. Watch out the
module in the next write up.
I log my
QSO either using my iPhone or my laptop.
Most were through the iphone. |
|
HOW
SMART ARE YOU ?
If
you are stupid in school, are you going to be stupid
forever ? Some men tend to think that way. More
complication would occur if a stupid boy finally earned
a PHD degree in a prestigious university.
Scientist had never talk about Dormant IQ. Else it will
give a quick answer to the question.
Ivan Illich talked about failure because a student does
not accept the establishment. He valued his own thought
rather following what people said.
Whatever, we don't think that we are the cleverest and
the smartest. One ham friend showed his disbelief when I
said so and so could speak German and Thai very fluently
and belittle other hams as lack of technical and other
knowledge.
I
could not say I am better and superior to someone who
had conquered the world. My being a ham for more than 35
years does not make me better than a new ham. I have
never achieved what the new ham has.
I
could not have assessed someone whose voice I have not
heard on the band, for I would not know how he manage
his antenna system and probably his transmission gears.
Similarly a man who thinks he is smart but no invention
and contrivance or any other visible product seen from
his labor could not be proven capable and competent. His
IQ might have decayed and those in dormant starts to
rejuvenate and active.
Whether it is a truth or a fallacy a judgment or
assessment could be based on the current professional
and academic status and the current production of a
person. Lawyers, doctors, engineers, computer
programmers and scientists are always smarter than the
lowly educated public.
They may be stupid in your class or my class. How could
I continue saying I am smarter than they are ? Never
envy those whose achievements are higher and experience
are wider and knowledge in abundance. Laboring jealousy
affect our health.
10/08/2013 |
My grand
daughter asked me to go outside the house last night.
"Do you want to play with fire crackers ? " I asked.
"Yeah," she replied. "Play with fireworks." I don't know
where she picked up the word fireworks instead of fire
crackers.
Kids picked
up languages very fast. Surprisingly she spoke good
English too. When she goes back to Kuala Lumpur
tomorrow, I will be with my wife alone again.
To keep away
from boredom, I always travel to Penang or Perlis on the
non-dialysis days.
|
OLD
FOLKS HOME AND THE 'ID
The
sentiment of love and affection is fading among the
Malay communities. Money and greed are all what is left
in them. Kids are too busy with their families and jobs.
Old parents are becoming a big burden and robbed away
their happiness.
A
teacher whose mother who could not control her bowel was
left alone at home, asked me to allow her to go home a
little early, which I immediately approved. As I
understood her brothers and sisters did not want to take
care of the mother. They called for the maid or sent her
to the Old Folk Home. There were many stories about kids
passing the sick mother to each other like a ball and
finally settled for a maid.
During the 'ID Malaysian TV screened an episode of the
Old Folk Home. Of the several interviewed were parents
whose kids did not to visit them. My emotion was filled
with anger and a
How
many of us are planning of sending our parents to the
old folk's home ? Or engaging a maid to live alone to
take care of them ? And you may say your parents are
very difficult and stubborn. They themselves prefer to
stay away. You only want to honor their wishes.
As
a Muslim one should know how sinful for a son to
mistreat the parents. Even the day of 'ID is not
respected. This day is not merely for kids and young
adults but for all Muslim regardless of age.
Taking them home for a day or a week during and after
the fasting months would do our soul good.
I
prefer to stay away from people who neglect and show no
respect towards their parents. The vanishing humanity
had made them soulless. They do not have to wait
for God's retribution when they die. They will suffer at
their dawn days.
10/08/2013 - Abdul
Rahman Raof |
DON'T FALL A VICTIM
Test a used radio first
before you decide to purchase it. Get someone who own
the transceiver before for the thorough test. I am not
telling you not to buy used products. There are trusted
second hand dealers which we can rely on. We never get
disappointed with
our purchase.
I started hamming with
a second hand rig purchased at RM800. That was the price
sold on the second hand stuff those days. I used the rig
till rigs turned to complete solid states. And now I would not
pay more for the used equipment.
The
average price of a new rig in Malaysia today is 3K and
there isn't much hassle in the procurement. The buying
process takes no more than two days starting from the
order to the final delivery. Though new, I take it's
life span for only 10 years. Exceeding this will be a
bonus.
The dark side of the
used equipments in the market is we don't know their
history and the owners. Some owners might have used the
radio to send out continuous carrier for a few hours to
jam frequencies with mismatched feeder to antenna. Some
have lost their sensitivities. Other disabilities might
have occurred. We never know.
We can easily be
fooled by a glib speaker who wants to rid off his
equipments for a reason or another. If you are too in
need of a radio and can't afford to buy a new one then
your choice is to have it closely examined first. Get the right
person to help.
Of course it is
unthinkable for hams to have such malicious intention to
find preys to sell bad rigs to unsuspecting customers.
But in a dealing it is good to agree of the trial
testing period before the final phase of purchase.
The story of radio
equipment is related to the survival of radio companies
which are facing stiff competition from internet
communication. The hope lies on the increasing number of
hams and ignorant hams who would butcher and abuse their
equipment until they become as good as useless.
As you get to know
more hams, you will learn more of their characters and
capabilities. And I am sure eventually you will
begin to read what I have been trying to warn you.
09/08/2013 - Abdul Rahman Raof |
THE
SECOND RAYA DAY
The
second day of the Raya was still a busy day. I started
the morning by buying breakfasts for my wife and three
kids who will be here till Sunday morning. Soon enough I
have visitors, my wife's cousin and the whole family.
Then my neighbors.
Lucky the dialysis schedule for today is pushed to
Saturday, tomorrow. Otherwise I would not be able to
entertain the visitors. But in an hour's time I would
have to go for my Friday prayer, leaving the visitors
with my wife.
Our
Malaysian Malay tradition on the Raya day, we give out
money to children who visit our home. The standard
amount is a dollar for the children who come from
nowhere. Kids of relative are given ten dollars, and
kids who are very close to us about fifty. The crowds
were bigger in the morning on the first day. Straying
kids were not seen on the second day.
As an old man of 67 I still enjoy the
festivities and playing with all sort of fire crackers I
bought on the eve of the Raya Day. I
still have some to play for tonight.
09/08/2013 - Abdul Rahman Raof
After
the prayer, as I drove home, I notices 99% of the houses
closed their gates. Even on the first day a few houses
along my lane have their gates closed. I had wanted to
drop by my student's house but had to cancel the plan
seeing the closed gate. |
ENJOY DXING
You have
been working very hard for your RAE and CW.
Now that you have been awarded the license to
transmit by all mean go ahead and enjoy the
hobby. But always bare in mind you are
the ambassador. As an ambassador we have to
have the highest possible degree of ethics
and demeanor, humble and most courteous.
You can
start with the simplest gadget if you have
the mean for the sophisticated equipment.
You need a logbook, a 24 hour clock set at a
GMT time, a pen and a rough pad to note the
conversation. A simple diapole about 20 feet
should be ample.
To go
international your English must not
necessarily be good. What is most important
is the clarity of your speech. Don't speak
too fast. If phonetics are to be used
applied the common and standard ones and
followed by countries to ensure the other
party could comprehend the message. For
instant when spelling MIKE ALFA NOVEMBER it
is repeated by MEXICO AMERICA NORWAY.
It is possible that your counterpart may
repeatedly ask for your name again and
again.
The best
ever station is when you can have a mast of
70 feet and an array antenna. Compounding
with the linear your soft whisper could be
heard till the edge of the globe. And
incoming signals would shake your S-meter.
It is your
prerogative to work as many DX stations as
you want, participating in the contests and
waving the country's stripes and crescent.
Certainly
there are jealous people around who had not
been happy because you sat and passed Morse
test. They came out with all the excuses in
the world. It was disheartened to see new
people brought fame to the country with
awards after awards. But any spread of
seditious words won't stop you from
conquering the apex of hamming.
Imagine,
if the world hears a YL station from the
United States on CW and also from a remote
country like Malaysia, the perception is
similar to what we would have perceived if
we hear a YL from Timbuktu on the same mode.
The pride is yours. You earn it and you
deserve it.
Good luck
and enjoy your hobby.
06/08/2013 - Abdul Rahman Raof |
|
SENILITY
How senile is your old man ? Are we not of the view that
our old man has lost many abilities and capabilities ? I
talked about it with my teachers, and whether they are
aware how their kids perceived them.
I always knew that my kids think we are not capable of
managing things. They would re-arrange the house until I
did not find what I need, throwing away what were
important and buying things to cause redundancy. My wife
plays with senility and cautioned me not to say
anything.
All along they have been dismissing my advices on
various aspects and finally I decided to let them decide
on themselves. I would lost my temper when they faced
problems on what I had been warning and telling them.
Occasionally I talked to my wife about people who left
their fortunes to neighbors and maids, instead of their
akin. Could they be senile to do it ?
Excellent and brilliant teachers who coached their
students to score A+ in additional mathematics were
treated with senility by their kids.
One parent told me that her kid is ashamed to walk with
her because she was not educated and shabby village
apparels. I made a point to address the issue, telling
the students that their uneducated parents are much far
ahead in their thinking and struggle to make men of
their children. For every prize giving day the mother
received much better present than the kids. Parents were
treated like the VIP.
My kids asked me with a surprise where I get the 3D
movies. To me they were asking stupid question.
My aunty recently said, "If they want to know whether I
am senile or not, just give me cash and I'll show
them...."
The senility of many independent old folks are they live
a better life than their kids. Never being chased by
banks or credit card or loan shark. To many they didn't
even beg a single cent from their children.
Hanafi, a radio friend of mine, showed surprise when I
told him how I solved a computer problem by going into
regedit. Didn't he know that I design biometric software
? And once he asked me about a yagi antenna trying to
test my knowledge, which I explained in detail the
different between director, driven and reflector. In my
mind it was him who did not understand the system.
Today I dare not under estimate people including women
who looked weak and docile. I talked to a fruit seller
who narrated me his globe trotting experience. And
countries found tired old folks could be better spies
for the nations.
I don't claim I am not senile. I forget names and terms.
But I sense the unforeseen and compute the probability
of the future.
07/08/2013 - Abdul
Rahman Raof |
FORGETTING THE ROOT
When I was a small kid a neighbor took me to see a play
in a school. It was about a smart daughter who was
successful and left home for a job in Kuala Lumpur. Many
years later the parent decided to go to see their
daughter whom they have not heard any news. With the
help of someone who knew of her where about they decided
to visit her. The preparation was obvious, to bring her
the food that she most like, the ikan pekasam, ikan
kering and pucuk putat.
So
they set foot and arrived in the city. The daughter on
seeing the parents pretended not to recognize them and
kicked all the village goodies they brought for her. It
was at this point the drama was made alive with song,
music and splendorous display of lights. I saw
spectators crying. The play was very successful.
Then I read the history of the first radio and the
persons involved in them. It was about telegraphy and
Morse codes. I was trying to trace the event of the
radio signal that went around the curve that took me to
the activity of the sun that produces electromagnetic
radiation measured in Angstroms.
Comparing the drama I watched and hearing what they said
about CW it strengthened my belief of the arrogance and
selfish a man can be. They quickly abhorring their root.
How could I not despised a teacher who condemned his
tutor for not knowing something that he just picked up
from other person. He thought he was already great.
Today even a good man doing good things should not hope
to get respect from those they delivered favors. But I
have always believe of the evil of man; greedy,
ungrateful, arrogant and think they are the smartest.
They cast the archaic culture, dying their hair to be
looked like Europeans and crave for modernization,
cutting loose from the past.
It
is good and fun some time to dress like a real kampong
folk, with songkok and Malay costume and shoeless going
to watch a technological exhibition and ask a few stupid
questions. I did it once but with sleepers, asking about
the thumbprint stuff.
They should have known the power of illuminati that
holds strong to the ancient secrets and traditions. The
root remain firm.
05/08/2013 - Abdul
Rahman Raof |
By
Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA
The sun
emits electromagnetic radiation and matter
as a consequence of the nuclear fusion
process. Electromagnetic radiation at
wavelengths of 100 to 1000 Angstroms
(ultraviolet) ionizes the F region,
radiation at 10 to 100 Angstroms (soft
X-rays) ionizes the E region, and radiation
at 1 to 10 Angstroms (hard X- rays) ionizes
the D region.
Why do I
print this out ? Because someone said to me
ionization is caused by UV. |
I
don't need a camera to capture image. The tiny magic
box does everything from showing live pictures of
someone thousand of miles away to chasing the
mosquitoes during my sleep. Do good, fear God and go
to heaven. We can enjoy more wonders.
|
YD WITH CB QSO
Only last
night on 7.050 I heard a CB style QSO by one
YD. I believe more of such a style will
pollute the ham band. And in no time the
pirate lingo will creep in. I read articles
on CB lingo on 10 meters and never expect to
be on 40. 7050 have been used by
respectable Indonesians hams.
I am sure
many Indonesians do not like it also and
keeping the sadness in their hearts.
Bad things
spread fast unless it is quickly suppressed.
As always who have the heart to spit the
truth for fear of retaliation.
|
Why
Hide Our I.D ?
In my
working days I never wrote any poison
pen letter. Surat Layang comes from a
coward and irresponsible person. I wrote
a harsh letter with name printed and
took responsibility for whatever I laid
out. I dared to face the consequence.
Using
some other people to write for us is
worst. I always remind someone to be
careful and not to be used as tools.
There are bad hams and good hams. It may
take a long time to identify them.
Bad
hams would use other people to push for
their own goals and would spit badness
of the others but themselves. Studying
closely we could trace the agenda behind
them.
Hiding
one ID is one thing, pushing others to
write for them is another; the worst of
it's kind.
As I
said, I never read blogs but they were
posted to me for my perusal.
Though
many are neutral, they still abhor the
action itself. Hence let us be
more responsible for what we write,
right or wrong.
06/08/2013 - Abdul Rahman Raof |
|
FACTS AND IMAGINATION
A
Guru says SWR has no value. It is only a ratio. It is
indeed a fact and bare truth. But my imagination sees
value in them. A ratio cannot exist without the
comparison between the relationships of two variables. I
see the output power of a certain value and the
reflected power of a certain value. Their relationship
that made the ratio.
I
imagine waves with legs that runs through a path. The
final length of the path must not be shorter than the
step, or else a part will go and another part will fall
back. The path to the take off and the take off field
must have the right length. Imagination may not be a
reality.
Similarly I imagine impedance as the opposition of
electrons flow. The behavior of the opposition differs
in a coil and capacitors and normal wires. The behaviors
cause the voltage and current relationship whether in
phase or out of phase. I see the resultant actions in a
coil when current passes through it. The field built up
that induce the opposing force. Resulting opposition
depends on the frequencies of the ac current passing
through a normal resistors, coils or capacitors. It is
not merely knowing the inductance increase as the
frequency increase but to to imagine how such phenomena
came about. So the behavior in capacitors.
I
have always imagine the change in the reactance as the
values of the wire, a coil or capacitor changes. In the
parallel LC circuit there is always a point when both
reactance are equal in value and gave the total
impedance of zero at a certain frequency. The negative
and positive phase difference cancel each other.
In
the air say there 5 radio stations transmitting at
frequency 1, 2,3,4 and 5. Changing the value of inductor
or capacitor will result in zero impedance to either
1,2,3,4 or 5. This allows the radio signal into the tank
coil selectively.
Try
to imagine what could have happen in the circuit if the
impedance is zero.
Please do not believe on what I am writing here because
I only use my imagination. Get a good Guru and try to
understand the real fact. Can you imagine how and why
the radio wave can travel far ?
03/08/2013 - Abdul
Rahman Raof |
SCRAP
RAE
REVISITED
I
was reading about
antenna impedance
which talks on the relationship
between antenna
length and frequency and wavelength
and the capacitive
as well as inductive effect of the wave-length
effect. Then I
said to myself why the hack should
I know all these.
It would be easier to buy the ready made or
cut wires to the
right length.
To
operate a radio
station I don't
need all those knowledge. Most
people just buy the equipments,
antenna, tuners and a matching
device. And off
they go sending the signals flying throughout
the world. There
are millions of operators
without having have
to sit for radio examination.
Many of
us know but don't
understand things. We know the length
is 468/f but do
we know why the number 468/f or 472/f ?
Then we told ourselves
that we are not going to be technicians
or electronic engineers.
If
a person with
technical
knowledge joins the feeder line at the input
part of the antenna where
the current is at maximum
and the voltage
minimum, does it mean an illiterate
in electronic
will get different
current-voltage behaviors
at the same
point ?
If
we are not going to be a technician or an engineer then
what is the purpose of passing the electronic test ?
A
man talks so much on double, triple and quadruple
conversion; I wonder whether
he could provide a clear explanation on why the if
frequency is always the same when the incoming radio
frequencies vary.
Again just buy the radio with excellent selectivity and
enjoy it, rather than cracking our heads in knowing
those stuffs.
Unless examinations
are made as a form
of control. That is different story altogether. Then the
art of test administration has to be varied from test to
test. An essay type of test will
tell a lot of things of a person. And test questions are
not taken from a mere
cupboard year in and year
out.
The
other alternative just scrap RAE.
05/08/2013 - Abdul Rahman Raof
|
While cleaning my
shack I found an old coax antenna switch. I opened it up
and made a little adjustment. I murmured to myself while
joining the coax to it 'two rigs one antenna...two rigs,
one antenna..' What we usually do is to fix one rig to
different antenna. I did it otherwise to see the
performance of two different rigs, not of two different
antennae.
The
dark blue one was a free stuff I got from a hamfest in
Athens Ohio. The right, light blue, was purchased
in Medan a short time ago. Both work very fine.
The
good of spring cleaning is sometime you find things you
lost.
05/08/2013 - Abdul Rahman Raof |
FANTASY AND IMAGINATION
Each day we are entertained by SciFi movies and movies
of fantasy and imagination. Some hit the box office. The
Arvatar, the Transformer, Harry Porter, Man of Steel and
GI Joe Retaliation were among the popular attractions.
Imagination began as early as history of men, Facing the
hostile environment they imagined demons and gods, the
invisible assistance and fury. The story of ferries were
not owned merely by the West. Even the Malays wrote
about Kayangan, the sky kingdom with ferries in the old
annals. The modern was Dick Tracy, a detective with
miniature spy gadget. There were numerous comic books
hit the market.
Leonardo Da Vinci endeavored to put the dream and
imagination into real life by
designing flying machines.
And scientists are making making men and machines to
fly.
It
was the imagination and fantasy that creates the magic
smart phone and computers, powerful military hardware
and the super robots.
The
investigation of nature and the unseen made people saw
the magic of numbers, the fundamental aspect development
and design.
The
world of fantasy and imagination of kids should be
nourished by the adults, which later will develop
creativity in them when they became adult. I believe it
creates intelligent children.
It
needs a strong imagination to understand many scientific
facts, of astronomy and universe, of Higgs Boson and
millions more.
The
bad of fantasization is when one starts to imagine ways
in killing people, especially the most strong and
powerful.
03/08/2013 - Abdul
Rahman Raof
|
WHY
COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY ?
Why
going to college and university when knowledge is
available everywhere. I always consult www when wanting
to know something. I don't claim my computer soft wares
are good. I didn't go to school to learn programming.
Again internet taught and guided me.
Must knowledge be in us when there are plenty freely
available at the spur of any moment ?
But
what cannot be cut and paste in us is the skill. We
can't ask a History doctorate to do the proper welding
unless he learned it physically. Neither could we ask
any ordinary man to operate a patient. These are skills
that we have to acquire direct from human interactions.
We
don't compare knowledge and skill though skill
acquisition generates knowledge on the theory and
procedure.
We
don't have to carry the formula in our heads to find the
length of a 40 meter dipole. It is readily available in
the web site. That's the reason why RAE on the technical
aspect is no more relevant these days. There are
thousands of pirate radio stations who could set up
radio stations without passing any radio examinations.
Colleges and universities that trained professionals
make sense, else we have to have the old system of
apprenticeships. From it to Master Craftsman. More than
knowledge, research, and development , experiment and
planning. These are not elements of cut and paste.
They are vital components in the progress of the
relevant fields, not the persons involved. Ask ourselves
what contrivance can we provide to the nation with
our own research and experimental activities ? For most
laymen we are consuming rather than producing.
My
boss once told me that university education carves and
shapes attitudes. I still can't figure out how it does
and whether it is true to all universities ? Or whether
they are applicable to all disciplines. To date I am
still trying to observe and learn people through their
comments in the facebooks and blogs, and relate to their
level of education.
Whatever education we have, we are always lacking in
everything. Yet we survive and live like everybody else.
Some of us are extremely wealthy even without degrees.
It is foolish to pride oneself mainly base on the amount
of knowledge one carries because others could do better
. And if they want to know something they can always
pluck from any literature or ask someone to give it to
them.
Wise people never brag and never belittle others, never
show excessive pomposity. When victims do not fight
back, calm and sullen it does not mean they are stupid
and defeatist. It is just they don't want to be equally
foolish. Is it not foolish to fight and quarrel with a
mad man ? A person who always boast that he has a vast
knowledge must remember even the stupid can acquire
information easily and freely without pain, without
having to have university education. What is a person
without any skill ?
What we cannot borrow and easily get is dexterity. No
amount of thinking and reading can do the
transformation. If we can, we can . If we can't,
we can't. The worst of a person is when he can't
also study well. He might resort to combining
brawn with emotion to assert himself. All his life he
lives on excuses and escapism, and laboring perpetual
hatred towards successful people.
03/08/2013 - Abdul
Rahman Raof |
EXHAUSTED
I have
not done anything to my kitchen
yet, and
the room for
my former
maid,
my radio shack and one more
room. I have
just finished 95% on
my lounge. Yesterday
I
rushed
to Padang Besar, departing
home at 2.30 pm to
buy plastic flowers. A bouquet
in my home
town costs between RM150 to
RM200. At Padang
Besar between
RM30 to RM50. |
After
sending my wife to the dialysis center I immediately
worked on my shack. The arrangement and the cleaning
took about 4 hours. I skip my daily walk to give to the
house cleaning. Tomorrow I can resume the evening
exercise.
For
Berbuka I bought a pack of rice with kari Kepala Ikan
and the fish head and a boil egg. It cost me RM7.50.
That's all. Six more minutes to wait. And another
fulfilling day for me. Thanks God. |
Altogether I paid RM95 for assorted flowers and a couple
of arrange flowers in bunch. With this I think I will
end my purchase for this new year.
It
is estimated it will take two days to clean my radio
shack, a day for the kitchen and maid's room combined.
But the raya is too near. I need to squeeze the time for
computing, nursing and sending my wife to dialysis,
buying food, and cleaning utensils.
The
last to work on is the floor . It is so dusty that I
need to wash it. It will be a monumental job. My wife
suggested that I labor someone else to do the cleaning,
At this point I am already exhausted.
My
wanting to work for myself is owed to my mother who
trained me to do the household work when I was a kid. I
washed my own clothing and ironed them, frying rice to
take to school, shutting windows when night fell, fed my
ducks and released them and doing the grocery.
I
had never had chance to do what I am doing now. Being
retired I feel free to do whatever I want. |
Nothing is better than doing a good job, a feeling of
satisfaction and fulfillment. I am happy to see the
three umbrellas that I hang on the wall. I have not seen
like it anywhere else.
My
cat, Kipas, would lie and observed what I have been
doing. Her little kitten was jumping around playing with
what she found on the floor. I talked to the cat while
working.
Outside the house is still messy. I don't know what to
do with it yet.
Soon afterwards I have to bath my wife, dress her and
take her to the dialysis center. When I arrive home at
about 1 pm, I will go for my Friday prayer. From 2.30 pm
to 4.00 pm will be the cleaning time. While on the way
to fetch my wife I will be stopping by buying food for
the break fast.
Life is still good. Food is still plentiful. I can sleep
peacefully; no blasting sounds of bombs and rockets, and
the cracking sound of gun fire.
Exhausted but Life is still beautiful.
02/08/2013 - Abdul
Rahman Raof |
THE
CULTURE OF DOCUMENTATION
Traditionally palaces worldwide have their own document
writers, not only to document the King and Palace
procedures but also the events that came to the
knowledge of the writers concern. Eventually the
practice went to organizations, institutions,
governments and offices. Some individuals wrote accounts
of themselves and their observations.
The
BIG QUESTION IS 'Do amateur radio in Malaysia has been
documented well ?' I wish some young blood will
take the initiative to do some research studies,
gathering as much as data as possibly can.
If
the former authority, the Federal Telecom, submitted all
it's documents to national archive it will be a good
start. It is highly probable the telecom files were
passed to the MCMC. Files over 10 years were usually
permissibly burnt and destroyed. Secondly the registrar
of societies may still have the records of the radio
society that was registered. And the last scattered
source was the living old hams like 9M2SS, Sangat Singh,
Raja Iskandar, Raden Lokman and a few Singaporeans.
The
current societies like ASTRA, MARES and MARTS and other
scattered clubs can start writing up on the beginning
and their history. ASTRA has plenty to write on it's
repeaters and the people behind them.
Every event and activity must be documented with
pictures. A copy is to be sent to National Archive.
Nothing should be laid aside, even how stinking
they are. Names like Sangat, Rahim (9M2RR), Lay Suan and
Oja are among a few that people might think are
unimportant. But these are either the contributors or
people who set records.
It
is advisable for a ham to start his own document,
writing tales on how he first came to know ham radio,
how he studied for RAE, setting up his station, his
first contact and all the following activities.
Documents must be well preserved.
30/07/2013 - Abdul
Rahman Raof |
SHOW
THAT MARTS EXIST
MARTS must not rely on
the internet to broadcast of it's existence or
activities. With the present condition soon enough
thousands of Malaysian hams will not even know what
MARTS is and may never heard of even the word.
It has to stretch it's
tentacles across the members of radio fraternity
to make it known to the people. To sell itself, it must
not stay aloof in the remote corner. It has to go out to
meet the people, at RAE and CW test centers on the exam
date, prepared with the proper handouts.
Before making any
publicity stunts MARTS must write to the hams or sending
out a kind of a newsletter with contents that are
appealing to the local hams. The capital is large but it
is a wise thing to do.
It would be sad that
people who are active in clubs and societies are not
active on the ham band. Else radio would be one of the
best promotional avenue. Radio means active on the local
network, and on 2 meter band as well. For this MARTS
national link must be revived.
If the society does
not come up with something substantive, it has to bear
the continuous attack from other radio organizations.
And with only a fistful of members it will remain a
solitary palace without majority's mandate.
I for one wants MARTS
to continue to be prominent and stay healthy
perpetually. To show it's health it must move, active,
vocal and prove of it's strength. Yet it allows others
to organize SEANET and other gatherings in Kuala Lumpur.
Who in MARTS ever made themselves heard on local band ?
I believe that one of
the first thing MARTS must do is to raise fund to expand
the coffer. It is tough but it could be done, and at the
same time effort to reach all the hams in Malaysia must
be planned. I suggest a monthly publication similar to
CQ or QST magazine.
Else they have to hand
over the society to those who want to manage it. Let
those who strive to kill MARTS work with their own
clubs. Let sense and reason rule for the sake of
Malaysian ham radio. Don't be an easy prey, or being
used as a tool. Think.
31/07/2013 - Abdul Rahman Raof |
BABU
UBAT GEGAT SELLER
Babu was Ubat Gegat
seller. My mother would cut the colored papers, glued
the parts and made it as containers for the white
mothballs. Each packet was sold at 10 cents. That was
more than 60 years ago. Babu had long passed away
leaving a wife without a child..
He was totally
illiterate. He can only recognize numbers. He knew how
to count and returned the change of his sale. When he
went out selling he would dress in black, baju kurung
attire with a songkok.
His body was stout,
small eyes which gave him difficulties in seeing distant
objects. His voice was loud and ears sensitive.
Late in the evening he
would come to our house where my mother would count and
organized his shillings for him to keep. And as always
he would come with political stories, spoke like an
experience politicians convincingly and with strong
impact. He was pro-UMNO and adored Tunku Abdul Rahman.
He seemed to know a
lot. His narration was interesting. I later knew that he
picked those from the coffee shops. In the old days
people went to coffee shops to meet friends and chats.
It was like a community meeting place.
He pride himself for
being an UMNO man, vocal during the fight for
independence. When the government first call for the
blood donation, he was among the first to register
himself as a donor. A few of his contemporaries
are still alive. I am sure there are people in Alor
Setar could still remember him.
I saw him reading
newspaper as if putting deep contemplation at certain
topics. What he actually did was looking at numbers.
Just numbers. While perusing the numbers he would
also speak about politics, giving the impression that he
got the information from the readings.
Before nearing his
death Babu strike a lottery, quite a substantial sum. My
parents did not want to talk or ask him what he did with
the money. Being conservative and believing the fortune
was 'haram' we chose to stay mum. His wife, my mother's
relative, used it as capital for a small business.
Illiterate and
uneducated did not stop Babu from being an honest and a
sincere person. He didn't cheat not lie.The Chinese
towkey who supplied him the mothballs and other things
to sell liked and trusted him too. To me Babu was a
legend like Chat Gila. The different was Babu was
totally sane.
01/08/2013 - Abdul Rahman Raof |
IN
ABUNDANCE
I
have just finished my breakfast on the 20th day of
Ramadzan. and in a minute will perform my prayer and
then continue with this essay. Today I bought two slices
of Tepung Talam and two of Bengkang Ubi Kayu costing
RM4. I heated unfinished food bought for yesterday and
they took up almost all my table's space. At all time I
remember the poor and hungry people in other parts of
the world. There is too much food on the table.
That was not all. Two minutes before time, my student
sent me rice, gravy with fish, friend fish and cucur
jagong. It is impossible that I and my wife could
finish the providence.
What do I do with the excess food ? Two days kept in the
freezer is already too long. When there came time to
throw them I truly felt very painful. Will God be
angry with me for throwing what were given to me ? What
if God stops the providence ? I saw people in Africa
picking up bit of rice on the street, to accumulate to
fill a pot. The pain was always mix with the fear.
But
many a time I forgot what God gives me, and lost temper
when a restaurant did not serve me with the food as
ordered and leave without eating. When I reminded fried
rice without chicken, I was served the one with chicken.
Lately I realized
even in the
United States there were White
Americans have to beg
for food, not to talk of the homeless.
How about the kids in Bangladesh and other poor
countries ?
Unfinished rice can
always be given to cats after mixing with chickens or
fish. Gravies had to be thrown off.
Pondering at our live,
we really must thank the Al-Mighty for giving us peace
and tranquility, almost free from calamities and
disasters, and plenty of food at our disposal.
I
and my wife are enjoying our berbuka puasa much
more than other millions of Muslims. Thanks God.
29/07/2013 - Abdul Rahman Raof |
DANGEROUS THOUGHT
A
new school's Principal started her adventure to create a
system of her own for the future without looking back at
the history and past of the school. She said the past
was past, nothing could be done and called upon the
staffs to move forward with the new programs. Each day
the staffs were grumbling about the change. Months
passed. Progress continued. Two years later a new
Principal was sent to replace her. He was told to revive
the past glory of the school.
Progress cannot be built without knowing the present and
the past. You have to have a bench mark to start with.
Had the Headmaster took note of the level and highest
achievement of the school she would have not started
from the beginning.
Many top and glorious institutions ebb because the
history of the institutions were ignored, killing the
culture and the characters of those institutions.
When I came across a few new Principals bragging about
their capabilities and methodologies I said to myself
'let's see what those cocky achieve at the end of the
year'. True indeed their schools fared very badly.
General Paton read the art of ancient Chinese war and
applied in the WW2 against the German. The wisdom of the
past is seen with it's successes and achievements.
The
tasks of the new Principal is to learn what was the
glorious past and to resurrect it. That is the point
where he is to start, to add the recipe to his own menu.
Philosophers say the reason to learn history is to avoid
repeating the past mistakes. Ignoring it could end up in
chaos and blunder.
Will the school be at the peak again ? Mary Yap would
know the answer.
29/07/2013 |
SPENDING
MONEY
A
woman said
that she spent almost
20K for every Raya festival. That
was almost the price
of a Viva. To many 20K may take the whole live saving.
Recently I went to
a furniture shop and saw a sofa set costs
about 10K.
My student told me that she was ordering a new set
for the Raya.
And yesterday she told me the delivery has been
made. The sofa
costs 14K.
No
wonder they claimed spending that much money for a
single festival. That was for a single item. To match
with the new sofa, she put a new curtain and painted the
wall. Her husband bought another new car.
I
was asked why I do not add decoration to my house,
change the old sofa and the curtain ? My reply was that
my home is now known as a sick house, a home hospital,
and an abode for my sick wife. I do not need those new
stuffs. Secondly I can't afford to spend even 3K.
So
far I have not bought any apparel yet but I intend to
buy a frock for my wife. The garment of size 48 is only
available in black and it costs RM150. I told my wife
about it. She said she does not need one. "You are not
going to stay in bed on the Raya day," said I. "I will
dress you and put you on the wheel chair. Neighbors
might come to visit you."
So
far I spent less than 1K buying some small items and 7
packs of Brahim Kurma to be consumed on the Raya day
because no breakfast will be sold. Afterwards I will be
looking for some plastic flowers to brighten my house.
The most expensive items were the running lights. I
spent about 70 ringgit for a couple of sets.
Lavish spending is the lifestyle of the wealthy people.
Indeed they are wealthy. I saw houses much bigger than a
bungalow and qualified enough to be called a palace.
Spending help to generate national income and generates
greater economic activities.
30/07/2013 |
AMATEUR RADIO LICENSE AND APPARATUS ASSIGNMENT
A
car is a car. We licensed a driver not the car. The car
has it's own consignment ; an insurance and a road tax.
So are the pilots and the flying machines. An apparatus
assignment literally means the assignment of usage of an
apparatus. The apparatus has to be licensed and needs a
licensed for a legal use. Hence all communication
apparatus owned by agencies public or private need to be
registered. Once registered anyone can use them.
Commercial bodies come under this category.
It is imperative for a
Radio Authority to issue a license to a person who has
met the requirement to be amateur radio operator. If he
passed RAE then he should be awarded with a B operating
license. If he passed both RAE and CW test his license
is categorized as A license.
An
apparatus to be used must be registered and the usage is
assigned to person with the radio amateur license. It
implies that a person who own 4 transceivers must
register all his equipments, and de-register them once
they are not usable. It is up to the authority to charge
for the registration or not. The registration is made
only once. When the equipment change hand it must be
de-registered by the former owner and re-registered by
the new owner.
The notion may not be
agreeable, even by me. But it makes more sense and has a
connotation of equipment control and more work to the
authority. The computer system has to be redesigned to
accommodate the requirement and the authority has to
visit ham radio shack to observe the compliance. Who in
the world want to do more work without extra income or
revenue ?
The current system is
not originated locally. We copied the model from other
nation.
Browsing through the web sites I found the phrase
Ham
Radio License were conveniently used rather
than Apparatus Assignment. Whatever the authority has
the final say. It has it's own valid reason to adopt any
policy it deemed fit. And the authority has been very
lenient all these while for not exercising the full task
as to the control of ham gears and hamming activities.
We are considered very
lucky.
28/07/2013 - Abdul Rahman Raof |
KARAOKE AT MALAY RESTAURANT
I
don't know what to exactly called a shop about the front
of KFC at Jalan Stadium; either a coffee shop or
restaurant. Outside the fasting month I didn't see
people eating or drinking in the shop. It never attract
me to stop by and try the food. Somehow it survives.
Every fasting month I saw quite a crowd. Girls were
singing or shrieking at the top of their voice probably
with the full blast volume that even penetrated the
closed doors of the KFC. That was worse than then the
Vili's issue. First it is a Malay restaurant. Second the
authority allows the eating shop to run Karaoke. I am
sure the authority also composed of Malay officers.
These days I went to KFC at the wee hours of the day
which is still a dark night. At 2 am the singing was
still on. While having my Sahur I saw Malay girls with
red dyed hair came into the chicken restaurant ordering
food. I knew they were from the shrieking center. I knew
they were Malays but who were these people and where do
they come from. I believed even the Chinese and other
non-Muslims looked at them with scorn.
If
we are talking of freedom then the freedom must be
followed by the respect
of the tranquility and peace of mind of the others. The full blast audio
was indeed disturbing and a great nuisance.
Couldn't it be concluded that the Malays and Islam are
two different entities ? I always prefer Islam to the
Malays, and never will I endorsed Malay unity. If Malays
show no respect of Islam what can you expect from the
others ?
On
the other hand the Pumpong Mini Market closed from 6 to
8 pm to allow the workers to have the break fast. And
the Seng Mini Market would close a few days to allow the
workers to celebrate the Raya festival with the
families. And in the United States a Jew Professor gave
a time out for the Muslims to observe the religious rite
of Ramadzan.
We
don't force these people to go for Taraweh prayer or
reading the holly book, but we are only concern with
their behaviors of insulting Islam.
29/07/2013 - Abdul
Rahman Raof |
READ
THE AA
Malaysian HAMS are advised to operate on frequencies
allowed by the AA. If you operate outside the allowable
band and frequencies the authority could always slap you
and take away your ticket. A change of officers and a
push by a third person could put you in deep trouble.
You
cannot be above the law and be more authoritative than the
MCMC.
Today amateur radio in Malaysia has reached a state
where the ham spirit has completely shattered. Cold war
is going on. Police report on certain issues had been
made. What you have to do is just open your eyes wide
and you will see and feel the stench of the covert war.
I
am just telling you, not putting any coercion or force
you to follow me. In the AA hams in Malaysia are not
allowed to go above 7.1. Today I don't go above 7.1 to
hear who and who among the Malaysians are there. It is
better for me not to know.
Somebody is telling the hams it is alright to go to the
banned area. If actions are taken against you he won't be
able to save you.
7.043 is not my frequency as claimed by some foul mouth.
I just happened to be there because I was there since 2002. You
want to use it, take it. It is a free spot for all. At
least I stayed within the approved limit.
It
is funny that to stay on the approved frequency is wrong
but to go above 7.1 is right. This is what I called
mental distortion. At least I pride myself not going
around to spray poison about bad people and the bad
things they have done.
I
just feel it is my duty to remind Malaysian hams about
the danger of breaking law.
26/07/2013 - Abdul
Rahman Raof
|
HEAD
CHANGE CAN CAUSE HAVOC
In
the past when school's head changed bad things usually
happened. Before the new head could settled down there
came a heap of bills from shops and vendors. The total
amount could reach up to hundreds of thousand. New
person usually jumped.
There were cases when the new administrators refused to
pay and lodge police report on the previous head masters
for criminal breach of trust.
Some might call for the local orders, checking the
stocks and the availability of the goods. And will not
honor the payment without any local order.
Staffs of disorderly schools would feel the pressure and
pain when the systematic and no-nonsense boss took over.
There was no such thing as 'before we can...'
I
always remind my close friends not to be so complacent
and safe with the current state. A sudden change could
be a Tsunami. Now is not before'. Even a little
mistake could be fatal. As the law goes, pointing evil
at others would not free the evil in ourselves. We have
to answer for our own.
A
new administration could and would not take any action
on those who abide by the book. Rules and procedures are
to set order. It keeps an organization strong and
efficient.
Those who flout with rules and regulations like going
home early before the official time, not in the
classroom during the teaching time, doing other business
during the office hours and cheating in card punching
would have to face the consequences.
Always beware of those rogue culprits who want you to
suffer with them. Follow the rules and do the right. We
will be safe in case of the head change.
26/07/2013 - Abdul
Rahman Raof |
WWW
wonder
The
wonder of internet is beyond description. Sixty years
ago we were already wondering with the amazing story
about a box that shows live images. The first black
and white TV was a marvel. In the 70's there was a plan
of putting the world populace into a web, stretching
every corner of the globe.
The state of mind of
the people 60 years ago is similar to the present
condition on the concept of flying cars all over us. Try
to imagine the world with flying cars taking over the
current road attached cars. That's how the mental
perceptions 60 years ago. It is unbelievable fantasy.
Among the common men
ham radio was the most wonderful in the years before the
world wide web. Hams from Japan and the Philippines came
to my house to communicate back home. A ham encouraged
his son to pick up amateur radio in case he went for
further study overseas.
In the '80s the world
was taken by surprised by the opening of windows of the
world, where everyone could hear voices from all walks
of life covering the whole globe. The dream came true.
The world appears in front of you at your command within
seconds.
But very few men
admire the contrivance. They bought and used but never
to wonder how they were made and who made them. Kids
never even asked questions on the gadgets they used,
like mankind never asked how the food they ate came
about.
The inspiring
technology attract every man. 90% of ham operators
locked themselves to network computers rather to their
radios. A friend of mine who had been following my
hamming activities finally said to me that he didn't
need ham radio anymore, as he had a nightly visual chat
with his colleague and students around the world. He is
a university lecturer. He enjoyed Skype very much.
Global travelers only
needs a smart phone or a tablet when they go overseas.
Live communication is free. The WWW is a wonder.
everywhere you will see young people holding hand phones
while they are walking or sitting at rest. Thanks
to the great idea.
26/07/2013 - Abdul Rahman Raof |
WHO
IS GOING TO HELL ?
Asking the question to different people will get
different answers.
Ask the Catholic, they will say the
Protestant, ask the Protestants they say the Catholic.
You ask the Hindus they will talk about re-birth and the
final karma. Ask the Muslims they will say the sinners
and the non-Muslims. You ask the Jews they will shake
their heads. You ask the Atheists they will laugh at
you. And you have to tell them that hell is made for
them. It looks like only the Jews do not believe in the
life after death though there is a day of judgment.
Whatever your faith is
you must respect the others, hurt no people, be kind to
men and animals and plants and trees, be fair and honest
and sincere. We have been living in mutual respects for
more than 3 decades. We should continue to do so. You
may be smart and superior, rich and powerful, you will
not be respected by your arrogance.
But in term of values,
morality and religions things that are bothering our
minds are the same sex marriage, the legalization of
marijuana and the disappearance of shamefulness. These
never originated from the Jewish or Muslim
nations.
www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,161508,00.html Cached
United Church of Christ
becomes largest Protestant denomination
to endorse same-same marriage.
Only God knows who is
going to hell.
25/07/2013 - Abdul Rahman
Raof
|
MARTS IS NOT A RELIGION
MARTS is not a religion but it has been here long before
any radio society in Malaysia. To bring out something
new to replace it is something like a Christian
Scientology, something new to the religion. That's why
the Muslim cannot accept the concept of Islam Baru or
New Islam.
The
crisis is never a happy one. It is a crisis of mankind
not the organization. From my point of view difficult
things could be trashed out at the negotiating table
with the chairmanship of our radio authority. We have to
recognize the authority of our radio administrator.
Certainly they are much better and have gained enough
experience than most of the smart Malaysian hams. Good
or bad they are the authority.
Though MARTS is not a religion you just don't tear it
apart, burn it and replace it. It has been here before
many of us were born. If we don't change religion, we
don't change MARTS too. It is our tradition.
Don't talk about numbers and quorum because many would
not favor such measures to be applied to what we don't
like. To put it bluntly, if the non-Malays are voting
out the Malays with their big numbers in future do these
people like it ?
I
even sense some defiance towards the authority. Even on
the question of band plan; at a time they force people
to accept it, at another time they say it is useless and
not binding. Any Mister Know All should apply for a job in
ARRL or ITU.
25/07/2013 - Abdul
Rahman Raof |
GO
CW
NO
MATTER
WHAT
You
pass you gain and enjoy the band. That's not the only
point. It is the process of building up self-discipline.
I talked to a young girl, form one, about going jogging,
and she said one has to have a strong discipline to
sustain it. A person going cycling or jogging for over
10 years is strong in mind and in spirit.
Once you pass the test you will have a certain pride in
yourself. You can overcome something difficult.
Building discipline is accompanied by attitude built up;
the dare to face challenges, positive thinking,
resilience, self confidence and most of all you enhance
and elevate yourself. The skill is not plucked from a
text book, copyable and transferable.
A
person cannot claim that he is good in Morse unless he
passed the test. We know of a signal man who failed his
first CW test.
Staying away from the exam just to please them is always
silly, as if they are your saviors at time of you facing
hardship and difficulties. Remember a good man has
enemies and a bad person has friends. In other words
don't fear of losing friends.
When I went to school in USA Malaysian friends told me
not to take analytical statistics because it was
difficult and the lecturer failed a lot of people. They
took Badminton and Takraw because they were easy to
pass. I ignore them. I took the paper and a Korean lady
assisted me in the subject.
Follow your own heart.
25/07/2013 - Abdul
Rahman Raof |
ALREADY 13 DAYS OF RAMADZAN
I
feel like playing fire crackers again. My neighbor had
been firing the crackers every night. I asked my ham
friend to buy some for me if he were to go to Hadyai and
he told me there are plenty at Danok.
Actually I don't make any preparation yet for the new
year. Both me and my wife do not need any new dress. But
the Muslims are encourage to put on a clean and new
clothe during the 1st Syawal.
I
have to set a day for the shopping of some basic stuffs
for the raya festivities, and to list down all the
necessities. I don't need shirt as there are a few which
are not even used till today. I will buy a pair of gown
for my wife. I have to put some glittering and sparkling
lights as soon as possible within the next few days. I
also planned to replace a few missing jugs. Yes, missing
jugs. I can't blame my former house maid for it.
13
days are too quick. It was just like yesterday. Probably
my mind was occupied with something else; nursing my
wife, doing the domestic chores, browsing web sites,
writing blog and evening walk before the breaking of
fast.
My
weight didn't decrease much. It dropped down only about
2 kilos but I feel very light when doing my walking
exercise. I would not make a fuss on Alvili's remarks.
First other religions fast too. Secondly the Muslims
could amicably asked Alvivi to try fasting for a day or
two. I am sure he will enjoy it.
Fasting is not just refrain from eating and drinking, it
tests our self discipline. Conquering the desire of a
thing transfers the same emotion towards other things
too. I don't miss a thing when honoring the fasting.
13
days is al most half of the journey. I know the
remaining days move too fast to catch up.
22/07/2013 - Abdul
Rahman Raof |
FIELD DAY
Field Day is somewhat an exercise of emergency
communications participated by radio amateur operators.
It is an annual event. Hams are encouraged to set up
their stations outside their homes, possibly in camp
sites, using portable staffs and alternative power
supplies.
Though in our country MARES is an appropriate body to
run and organize the national field day, MARTS usually
took the lead. Before the existence of MARES, MARTS ran
the show.
Today a new society called MARL is running the show. I
don't know who gave the mandate to MARL to host the
event, and why MARTS did not come forward to host it.
Participants are not determined by radio society
memberships. They have to recognize themselves as hams,
not as ASTRA, MARES, MARL or MARTS. They should join
force for the activity and at the same time have fun
together. Having barbeque with beriyani would be just
nice.
I
think to call it MARTS or ASTRA or MARL national field
day a clear show of disunity of Malaysian amateur radio.
The name National Field Day would be ample. It does not
have an aroma of arrogance and tyranny.
It
would be very awkward and strange for the words hams to
mean chaos and divisiveness. Else the components of
Malaysian ham radio will be consisted of clashes,
piracies, and low level savagery of verbal and physical
abuse. And power wresting is almost like a civil war.
With or without errors by any quarter let hams go out
and set up stations outside their home for a day and
enjoy the experience on the set date. MARL set a date on
15 the September 2013.
23/07/2013 - Abdul
Rahman Raof
|
GURU
BESAR..GURU BESAR..
Toilets and bathrooms, how clean and beautiful they,
have always been associated with a place to clean off
the filth. If the Guru Besar of Sekolah Kebangsaan Seri
Pistana used the the bathroom as a canteen for the
non-Muslims it is not at all appropriate and a big
disgrace. I am convinced that he or she is an autocratic
type of an administrator.
The
same canteen must be used. There isn't any problem for a
fasting person to see other people eating and drinking
in as much as there is no problem for a fasting person
to to a labor work and exercise while fasting.
The
teachers in the school should some kind of protest and
reasoned out with the Headmaster of poor decision. In
many cases the old principle of the age should be taken
into account 'Don't do unto others what you don't like
others do unto you'. It is not the principle of truth
but of tolerance, understanding, peace and humanity.
The
person who posted the pictures in the Facebook cannot be
blamed. You notice that many used the facility to
express themselves, to release emotions, to tell
something out.
And
now the Guru Besar has to face the music.
There have been numerous untold stories of Guru Besar
yet bad cases never seem to stop. There must be
something wrong with the promotion system or with the
people in charge of promoting people.
The
most is about the mismanagement of funds, neglecting the
financial procedure laid out by the Treasury
Instructions The government financial
procedure is excellent but only a few who followed
strictly the method of purchases and other procurements.
And now come the eating in the bathroom.
23/07/2013 - Abdul
Rahman Raof |
SPEND YOUR OWN MONEY
Use
your own money to spend and nobody would bother you. I
remember an auditor who queried a Chinese school
principal about using the school own private fund, and
the board told the auditor to leave it alone. There was
nothing the audit can do.
How
would you respond to the external interference and
intervention on how you spend your money ? But if you
were to spend public fund according to your own whims
and fancy you could expect a public cry. You have to
face the anger of the people.
The
Chinese has a lion dance every year with the purpose of
collecting and amassing funds. Metaphorically speaking
if they distribute the money among the poor Chinese the
Malays have no whatsoever right in saying anything. In
fact it has to be encouraged.
Do
the Malays collect and gather the money for the
advancement of their own race ? Mosques were known to
have tenth of thousands as a result of donations and
weekly collections.
More than 40 years ago there was a launching of Tabung
Ekonomi Islam. Millions were collected and we don't
don't know where the money went. If it was running well
by now the Muslims could have a fund of billions of
ringgit to spend for the well being of the Muslims. Even
if the money is used to send an astronaut to the outer
space no other ethnic group would say anything.
From the past and current events I would conclude the
Malays have not been smart. They were beaten by Karpal
and Utusan Malaysia was pinned several time by the
oppositions. They failed in dealing with more the
addicts. The priority is in privatization and contract
awards to cronies. SELF is the only desire. The
community can go to hell.
With huge funds they can build their own medical
universities, engineering schools and other professional
institutions. They can build research foundations and
start a think-tank groups to combat the sickness of the
Muslims and the Malays.
Instead of instilling the culture and practice of
sacrifice UMNO gives away money to the people. Many
would ask 'Where does the money come from ? '
20/07/2013 - Abdul
Rahman Raof |
MOVIES DRUG LORDS
Why
in movies drug lords are depicted wearing huge Christian
cross in their necklaces ? Even the nig Mafia bosses
were seen wearing one. In real life are those part of
their attires ? I did not observe the detail of their
dresses when I was in Queen where at night time the
whole street was full of Black youths. During the day
they seemed to disappear. Now I would have guessed may
about 10% of them, drug dealers or not must have worn.
In
movies these people talked softly and kindly but vicious
with their hands. Shootings were like a play.
If
it is true that Black drug Lords do wear cross I could
think only one thing. They were told that Christians do
not go to hell. Wearing cross puts Jesus near their
hearts. Jesus promised heaven to all Christians. Hell is
only for non-Christians. Going across the Youtube videos
and other Christian literature, it does say Jesus is a
savior of mankind. Being criminals would still bring
them to heaven.
May
be that could be the reason why Hitler murdered millions
of Jews and other Christians murdered millions of Iraqis
and Afghans and the Japanese. They can't go to hell.
Jesus save them. Nazis wore a big cross in their
uniform.
Sorry, what I commented here is from my haunch and
imagination, a conclusion without real evidence.
21/07/2013 - Abdul
Rahman Raof |
FEARING THE FUTURE
A
large portion of men do not fear the future because they
don't see the outcome, no matter what scary picture you
instill in them. You tell them that cigarette cause
cancer with a clear image of the affected lung on the
cigarette box, they still buy and happily puffing it
passionately.
You
tell them about God and sins, and the hell that burn the
sinners, none will show any freverence, not even an atom
of it. It is just because they don't see God, neither
believe in life after death. The future is too remote
for them.
The
instant joy and benefit is what count and to be grabbed.
How
many care about the future, the fate of their siblings
and generations, of homelessness and joblessness, of
conflict and destructions ? These future depend on the
present, the current planning and events.
But
there are people out there who are striving to shape the
future of the world. It began with dreamers who imagined
the world without borders, networking the world citizens
with instant visual and audio communication, creating
huge robots in their comic strips. They believe in the
future, And their believe is here and now.
Those who don't fear the future will do nothing and
those who do are thinking ways for the survival of their
generations and culture. We allow the clearing of water
catchment areas for housing development, farming land
for the same reason. We multiply ourselves with leaps
and bound. We accept and condone corruptions. We let our
youth go astray instead of building a strong and
competitive force to be a nation builder in the coming
years. We pampered our people too much. We plunge into
actions without thinking.
Even the loathed illuminati believe in the Almighty and
talked about men who fear men not God. It is an
organization that built up the United States and the
present layout of Washington. They computed the coming
and the fate of mankind and even their possible
sufferings.
We
need to address our morality, our economic and job
security, the ways our money to be spent and our
religious identity. We have to dispel all lies, sack
those who waste our money, halt in supporting the greedy
people who cut down trees and plunder land that grow
food.
Else we have to brace for bleak and dreadful destiny.
19/03/2013 - Abdul
Rahman Raof |
OFFICE NEEDS CHANGES
When land was plentiful and the population was small
survival for living was simple. The standard of living
was low but no known people were starve to death. With
economic growth the demand for labor expanded. There was
a rush for land and jobs.
First the work place was full of men. Women stayed home
as housewives. Young ladies waited for the hand in
marriages. There was a need for women in hospitals to
take care of female patients and deliveries. Eventually
families found with women at work place the income of
the family grew. The evolution of emancipation and
equality of salaries and tasks finally ended up at what
we are having today.
Women turned out to be very competent and some excel
their male counterparts. Problems arise when the workers
become mothers. Who are going to take care of the
infants, the milking and other baby cares ?
Today mothers have to travel up to 60 miles to the
office. While in USA I saw a long queue in Irvine at
7.30 pm. Those were the people who worked in Los
Angeles, going out early in the morning and arriving
home late in the evening. Even in Malaysia the situation
is similar.
It
is a high time for the relevant authority to look into
the welfare of the work force. It is not merely a matter
of salaries and job satisfaction, it is more to those,
involving the nurturing of emotional needs, caring and
understanding.
Offices should be of a new design to cater rooms for
child care up to 6 years old, room for worships for
Muslim, Jews, Christians and others, and sick bays with
basic medicines. At appropriate time mothers can go to
milk their infants.
Baby sitters are also trained to teach pre-school. For
Muslim baby sitters they must be well verse in Islam.
Incase there are no baby to take care of and no
pre-school children they can teach religion and recitals
to the Muslim ladies.
The
injection of humanity could produce a happy work force,
enhancing articulation, creativity and productivity.
Moving out of the house at 5 or 6 am and be home at 7.30
pm left the school going children without parents almost
half of the day. At time things are not good for the
kids. We can hope and pray for the best.
This is where the grand mother comes to be handy.
19/03/2013 - Abdul
Rahman Raof |
HONORING
PROMISES
A
Muslim should know the retribution for not honoring a
made promise. Those who know dare not promise even deep
in their hearts they will keep it. The phrase that
accompanied was Insya Allah ( by the will permission of
God). Allah does not allow a promise without adding 'if
Allah gives permission'.
Making a mockery of a promise when demanded is nothing
more than insulting God.
There are people who refused to participate in the
election because they do not want to be part of the
lying system. Tons of promises were made during the
campaign, and they were quickly vanished after
everything was over. It is a big word, either it makes
something or shattered everything, leaving people in
frustration.
When asked about the promises there came a mockery of
all sorts to blind the people broadcasted by the
mainstream media. A few could sense and compute the
cheat and the lies. Instead there were foul cries on the
fish and other food prices, of raising rates and taxes,
of the declining value of the money in hands.
One
man in the Facebook wrote 'THANK YOU BN VOTERS' for the
increase in electric bill. Another for the price
of mackerel at RM12 per kilo in a fishing village.
Both BN and PR could break their promises. When promises
were made there could be either of two intents; to lie
or to honor. You have an intention to honor a promise
but you may not be able to honor it owing to inevitable
circumstances. You would feel regret and deeply sorry.
There was a promise of hundreds of affordable homes. Yet
the subject was still discuss in the parliament. Now
every purchase is by affordable payment. I came across a
car vendor that refused cash but loan. The time period
is pushed from 5 to 9 years making it more affordable.
You are happy with the payment. You don't care about the
over all price and additional expenditure you have to
incur.
We
call them to act rather than to talk, to show rather
than to say, and to prove rather than to promise.
They think by throwing money on the road people would
forget the promises. You vote and you should get the
credit.
20/07/2013 - Abdul Rahman Raof |
ANOTHER WALK ANOTHER STRAIN
18
th. of July is the
ninth day of fasting.
It is another day for my evening walk at
the usual track.
The inner circuit is about 1km long. I
usually did four rounds
to complete four kilometers and doing
some exercise before
I went home.
I
arrived at 6 pm
and started with a fast stride,
faster than the days before
Ramadzan because of my
lighter body.
After about 200
yards I could hear women chatting behind me.
I could sense the
distance of the approach by the strength
of the conversation.
One was telling a story about a man
who like to cycle and
she never like him. I
tried to increase
my phase so that they
could not overtake me.
Somehow at the end
of the circuit they
overtook me.
They were about 40. I saw no force in their strides.
They walked so relax and so fast. I increased my speed
but lagging about 6 feet behind them. As they overtook
other walkers I too followed them.
Instantly I remember Ibrahim Ali, the loud-mouthed
Perkasa man, who threatened the Chinese. I told myself
even a single Chinese lady in front of me could pin him
down in a wrestling contest within 2 minutes. Never
under estimate woman's physical strength.
I
completed four rounds just a few feet behind them. I
felt tired and strenuous. The women continued with the
same phase and speed.
19/07/2013 - Abdul
Rahman Raof |
EDUCATION SYSTEM AND THE EDUCATED
Moving around I saw banners promoting and advertising
private colleges and schools. There are private schools
that charge a fee of RM60K a year from form one to form
five. And there are vocation colleges like the medical
and flying schools. At the same time I read about a
straight As student who has no place in the university.
Our
schools are going towards no public examination. PBS
takes over them. Already I overheard that the PBS was
not held according to schedule. If SPM was havoc with
leakage and the selling of test papers, the PBS opens up
a bigger hole for questions to be known before the real
exam days. Hence it creates doubt in the validity of the
certificate issued.
The
rush to private institutions will give advantage to the
affordable.
Though the phenomena is new it is imperative for the
government to make a research to know who are employed
in what sectors and with what qualification from which
institutions. After all we have many PHD scholars and
people working with the government.
The
data could shed a clear result of the effectiveness of
our system and we could plot the trend and the possible
projection with what we are doing today.
We
don't want to have engineers building the falling bridge
and stadium and other structures, and lawyers who
swindled their clients and murdered them.
19/07/2013 - Abdul
Rahman Raof |
LOOKING AT THINGS THROUGH DIFFERENT GLASS
A
fact is something real represented by a real concrete
data. When we say the jet engine was stolen, Bank
Bumiputera and PERWAJA were badly and dishonestly
managed, the hanky panky in the awards of government
projects, they are facts.
Yet
there are people who either deny or approved them. Even
in the case of indelible ink we do see behaviors and
actions which could be sensed as strange. On one side
the waste of million ringgit of public fund is nothing,
and on the other is an abuse of power. How could I
praise and support for such a waste ?
The
manipulation of facts to convince the people are nothing
more then for personal interest, namely to get favor,
promotion or rewards.
Here is another simple event about the month of Ramadzan.
A sex blogger was hauled up for insulting the month of
Ramadzan. In Alor Setar, at the stadium cafe, every
night there was a loud karaoke being sung during this
month. Doesn't it brought shame to the Muslims who were
eating together at the KFC with the non-Muslims ? It is
ironic, isn't it ?
We
all remember Karpal was suid for seditious for his
statement on Sultan on judiciary matter. He won the case
because he merely stated what is in the constitution.
As
I see in my perspective may be seen differently by the
others. The legal right may not always be a moral right.
No amount of suppression can stop people from talking.
With heavy communist indoctrination, Berlin wall could
still fall. Religions were alive and kicking and healthy
under the severe Communist suppression.
19/07/2013 - Abdul
Rahman Raof |
CHEATERS MUST BE PUNISHED
Cheaters and those abetting cheating must be severely
punished. Even those in the government are not happy
with the abuse of power and dishonesty. Government must
not protect those culprits in any way at all.
The
issue of indelible ink cannot be squashed. It is not
merely a case of the possible fraud but went further
than that. Najib could have mean well about the ink and
never even thought of it being washable. It could
not be Najib who ordered the ink to be tempered.
Now
that Rafizi
has exposed the supplier we could have
guessed that even the members of UMNO and government
officers are not happy wit the dealing.
Let
me say out here that the Chinese and other Malays were
not at all happy with Shahrizat's family's case, which
led them to sway to the opposition.
In
this case the named company cheated the government, the
Prime Minister, the UMNO Ministers and the general
public. And the behavior of the top EC men seemed to
abet the supplier then those involved must be severely
punished.
17/07/2013 - Abdul Rahman Raof |
PRIDE
Never think only the Ministers, doctors, lawyers and
engineers only have pride. Every man regardless of his
status and professions too have a pride.
The
feeling of greatness of a man with power and money may
not all the time gain respect of everyone. He could have
been scorned by even a garbage hunter and being looked
as a stinking animal.
A
person who has done a good work in a day with honesty
and sincerity feel proud of discharging his duty to the
country, public or to himself. He feels clean and God is
with him all the time.
The
garbage collector that comes to collect garbage around
our habitation is serving us. We owned him a respect. A
farmer who starts his work early in the morning to
provide us with food too must be respected.
The
feeling of pride is usually accompanied by the good work
done in the name of God to serve the people, community
and the nation.
Some faces we see on the public media were seen as
criminals and thugs. We spit on looking at them as
sinful, shameless and immoral.
Remember even a service to oneself and one's family from
a good and honest work is enough to provide one with a
pride.
18/07/2013 -
Abdul Rahman Raof |
YOUTUBE MOVIE
WHITE HOUSE DOWN
The White
House Down is fiction about attempts of high
ranking individuals including the Vice
President to wrest power from President
Barrack Obama. Obama was save by a security
personal who was rejected in an interview to
be the President's body guard.
Try to
watch and enjoy the thriller. It is
entertaining and thought provoking.
|
WALKING
DURING
THE
FASTING MONTH
I felt
my body much lighter walking during the
fasting month. It has been 9 days
including today that we have been
fasting. I jumped the exercise two out
of 8 days because of the time factor.
After completing the food preparation
and placing my wife at the roundtable
listening to the local radio, I went out
with my jogging attire. The average time
was 6 pm.
For
the last few days my radio friend,
9M2FL, Chen Kok Hoon, joined me. The day
before yesterday I was alone. The
jogging track was almost empty with the
usual Malays except for two or three. As
I felt lighter my steps were faster. I
thought nobody could beat me. But two
Chinese ladies overtook me. I was trying
to chase them by increasing my striding.
I failed to catch them.
At
seven I went home, feeling fresh. After
a few minutes the break fast time
arrived. I think a little exercise
generates energy. It is better then
sleeping.
18/07/2013 - Abdul Rahman Raof |
|
PSYCHOLOGY
OF
DRIVING
a.
Not all drivers care to watch the fuel gauge. Surely you
don't even wink at it if you have just filled full tank.
Only just now I saw a man pushing his motorbike. "Empty
tank ?" I asked. He nodded his head." Petron is
around the
corner," I said.
I
know that old motorbikes were without fuel gauge. I am
not sure of the new ones. But I figure there aren't any.
But all cars have the meter. It won't bother us if it
shows full or the medium portion. What usually bother us
when there is a warning signal, the yellow light was on
or blinking.
Questions began to pop up in your mind; is there a
gasoline station nearby ? Should I go for refueling now
? If I don't know how far can the car go ? Persons who do not
want to take risk will immediately decide to go for
refueling at the nearest gasoline kiosk, wind down the
window and switch off the air condition to
reduce the consumption. A few will tell themselves not
to worry because the car can still go 20 more miles.
If
you are with your wife, she will tell you to go for
immediate refueling. And you will convince her it can
still go farther.
I
did meet cars that ran out of gasoline. It has to be the
risk taker who didn't even bring a spare petrol with
them.
b.
I took my student's children for a drive quite some time
ago. I enjoyed talking to kids. They would ask me
several fantastic questions. On approaching the traffic
light the signal turned yellow. I quickly pressed the
break. The kids asked me, "Cikgu, why do you press the
break ? " I explained to them the light codes and what
action to be taken.
"My
mama press the accelerator and speed up the car. She
said that yellow means speeding up,"they said.
No
wonder at the junctions cars are speeding up at yellow
light and even continue when it turn red. Yellow is now
a code for acceleration to beat the red.
c.
Soon there will be a rush to Balik Kampong. Alor Setar
will be filled up with foreign plates. As always cars
with W or B will be overtaking others on the queue or
slowly following the others. The W and B drivers are
town people, great, educated and superior to the kampong
folks. So they show off their driving skills, overtaking
others on left and right, speed higher than the rest.
We
can't just blame the Ministers who are arrogant. May be
the big town people are all the same, being shaped by
the concrete jungle and noisy environment that made them
reckless and impatient.
15/07/2013 - Abdul
Rahman Raof |
THERE ARE SLOW MORSE OUT THERE
Don't worry. There are slow Morse out there on the band.
I heard about 8 wpm CW on 40 meter last night. It could
possibly be the operator was pounding a homebrew key.
Though I did not find it too comfortable for my hearing,
it gives chances for the new hams to dare working DX
stations on Morse.
At
the early stage you don't have to have a long contact.
Get use to the simple rubber stamp first, then slowly
enhance to the longer one. There are four things that we
need to exchange; the name, location, rig and antenna.
We can add another information i.e weather.
I
suggest use NAME rather than OP. OP stands for
Operational Procedure. For location us QTH, antenna is
ANT and weather is WX. Please do monitor more on the CW
communications. Search for the slow Morse. There are
plenty of them.
Good sending enables the other people to copy us with
ease without even having have to write down the incoming
messages. The standard 12 wpm is not a magic speed
plucked from the thin air. It is just like the 55mph
driving speed. 55 mph is the optimum fuel consumption
for the engine. 12 wpm had been pleasing to normal hams.
Once you are good at the speed you can opt to 25 wpm.
This is another comfortable speed for the medium skilled
CWers. You can still copy without jotting the
characters.
I
prefer the speeds of between 12 wpm - 25 wpm. I don't
have to put my full concentration. I would close my
eyes, leaning against my chair, and relaxing while
working on this mode.
Those new 9M2s are advised to use CW as much and as
often as one can. It will dissipate if we cease using
it. There were Malays who migrated to England 100 years
ago who had a hard time speaking the lingo today because
they left the language. It will be a pity because
a lot of efforts had been put to acquire the skill.
Take as fun. Go international and you will find there
are many slow Morse out there.
There are many old hams who already have
lost the skill in this mode because they
have not been working with it since they
passed the test. Today many of them are
scared to go CW for fear of making errors.
16/07/2013 |
|
PELESIT
Pelesit is a lost word that almost all of the younger
generation from the Malay community had never heard. It
is not a ghost, neither a Satan. It is a specie that is
being harbor by a certain woman.
When the term is used it is to indicate a person who
will move around to spread poison and to demonize
someone else and called for challenge, hatred or effort
to put away the person demonized. The work was done
quietly and covertly.
Though the word has never been mentioned today, the
number seems to be increased by many fold. Probably the
appropriate word today to replace it is the INCITER.
The
INCITER is never being regarded as a nice and good.
When someone whispers in your ears that so and so is a
demon and you find he whispers to every other ears then
you can call him a Pelesit.
The
agenda of modern Pelesit is to amass support for his own
gain. Even the less educated would push himself up with
boasting and bragging that he knows everything and the
rest knows nothing.
When someone came to tell me a bad thing about another I
would always ask myself his purpose, and I wanted to
know more about his past. I also told myself not to be
his followers. It would be a sad thing if educated
people and other professionals vowed and submitted to
him. I am sure the Malays do remember the story of Ayah
Pin and the Sky Kingdom.
There are many respected professionals. We must not be
misled by some goons of lower status or even the
uneducated lot.
The
Pelesit has a vicious mouth, phoning everyone to whisper
the ill of other people.
A
friend who tells you to be careful on dealing with a
certain individual is just warning you so that you will
not fall as a victim. He does not tell you to attack or
take any action. He does not incite you.
I
was told by someone that so and so stabbed my back and
spread bad news about me but I did nothing, and just
dismiss it. It does not bother me at all.
We
should know that we have some better things to do. Take
the trivial matters as something that does not exist.
When come the Pelesit just listen to his other joke,
smile and say noting. If he asks you to join a party
tell him you have a better thing to do.
17/07/2013 - Abdul
Rahman Raof |
OJA
IS A RECORD
How many
women from Malaysia that passed Morse codes and go
international with it ? The first Malaysian woman to
pass CW was Lay Suan, 9M2PA, who has given up amateur
radio due to antenna and other problem. I never know
whether she ever went DXing using this mode. |
THE
FREE MOTORBIKES
So
I was told that Mukhriz gave away about 1500 motorbikes
to those boys who were hoisting BN's flags prior to the
election. That is a good reward indeed. What I don't
know is whether these boys are getting free gasoline for
life.
I
don't know how much does each of them cost. It could be
around 2 to 4K, I suppose. As to whether the total payment has been
made, I can't make a guess. Not all UMNO guys pay the
suppliers for supplying gadgets to department. I heard
of stories of computers being taken back from schools.
But Mukhriz has money. I believe he has settled the
damage with the vendors.
I
have yet to confirm the story. People like to create
something out of nothing. But with the generosity of the
current Kedah MB these flag bearers surely would have
been awarded with handsome gift.
With the rising prices and inflations gifts are getting
bigger. Billions were spent to appease the voters.
People like Nik Aziz won't be able to donate to the
voters.
Of
course there is always the question as to the source of
the money and the wealth. If Mukhriz had not been the
son of Mahathir would he be able to gather that much of
a wealth ?
Can
Mukhriz donate one used motorbike to a 67 year old man ?
I would put up BN's flag on top of my roof with 1 5K
motorbike.
14/07/2013 - Abdul Rahman Raof |
Record is being created by 9M2OUT, Oja, a teacher from
Arau who brought pride to this country, as the first
Malay woman to go international with her Morse codes.
And really she is good at it.
If the Malaysians do not feel proud of Oja, I do and the
world do too. Women on CW are rare breed. And the world
would be glad to work with one.
Please don't hate me if I were to compare 9M2OUT with
one 9W2. Oja was a 9W2 too like the later. One fought for
enhance band by hard work and struggle and the other did
not. How would I assess both of them
?
Oja is a history. I am very serious to say that the
achievement should be recorded in the archive for the
future generation. A time will come when someone needs
data to write the history of amateur radio in Malaysia,
and we need to include Oja in the book.
At least for now Oja has made the world know of a Malay
Malaysian woman who has the ability in many things. She
is no ordinary woman. She is an English graduate teacher
as well as a excellent domestic engineer.
|
Malaysian women are not only emancipated but also able
enough to excel men in this country. CQ world wide
magazine, carried her picture and being
perused by the whole world. By a quick glance people
already know that 9M2OUT is a Muslim woman, who knows CW.
Muslim women have been regarded as docile and backward.
Talking of a Malaysian woman I cannot cast aside the ability of Indonesian women in
CW. They can run high speed with paddles. I salute them
for their amazing ability..
As to the experience and expertise we are no match to
the Indonesians. But to have one woman CWer flying
Malaysian flag is good enough at the moment.
We have many ways to observe attitudes and persons
characters. You can choose any one way you like. I chose
to see the determination and resilience, the dare to
face challenges and find thrills in conquering colossal
hardship.
My choice is just my preference.
13/07/2013 - Abdul
Rahman Raof |
What can I say ? If you want it
just pluck it out from the screen. Ike San ordered his
Icom from Japan, not from Singapore. I would buy one if
the price is 4K but it is more than USD2K.
11/07/2013 - Abdul Rahman Raof |
How
much should I spend on ham radio ? A lot depends on the
amount of money in my possession. It has to be RM1
million at least. Below it I would not spend more than
20K for the whole set up. That will be my ceiling. The
propensity to spend differ from person to person and it
does not depend on one's wealth.
My
traveling had taken up more than 50K. I could not
criticize those who spend their money on things they
like.
After all they will not take their wealth with them when
they move to the next world.
Though the new rig is attractive, I won't buy one. My
Pro3 is ample and satisgying. |
BETWEEN LIES AND BLASPHEMY
Zahid Hamidi said that the Red Bean Army is spreading
lies and it is a crime. Who had been telling lies all
along ? And when the chance was given for a debate UMNO
ministers were dodging themselves but one Khairy. That's
the opportune time to question the opposition about
things were said to be lies.
But
I did stumble over several challenges by what I
considered had to come from UMNO members who were trying
to defend Rosmah Mansor on her dress code. They
furikously said that head coverage by women are not
Islamic. It is Christianity and stated in the bible, not
in the Quaran. How about saying there were plenty of
idols at Nik Aziz habitation and Prophet Mohammed wanted
to kill Nik Aziz ?
Was
that OK for Zahid ?
UMNO has to decide
whether to give importance to Islam or to totally cast
it away. We cannot allow blasphemy to go on and on by
UMNO minister like Dr Mashitoh Ibrahim who regarded
Islamic law as savage.
Supporting and
inaction towards blashemy means the whole team is
religiously rotten, including the voters.
I read comments and
feedback in a few blog. Here is one which Zahid would
say is a lie
Your comment is
awaiting moderation.
Q. Who decides
policy in this country? Is it the police? YES.
Q. Are we as a
nation supposed to be subservient to the police
and ask their permission first before we
implement anything? Absolutely YES.
Does it look like a lie to you ?
13/07/2013 |
MY RAMADZAN
EXPENDITURE
Ramadzan or
not I never did a full cooking at home but for
the rice which was done in this month.
Expenditure for food had been very high. My
wife's preference was the KFC dinner plate and I
the fish burger. A single meal costs RM28. The
average breakfast was RM15 for two. Just for
food only I had been spending at the average of
RM50. With this amount it would last me about 10
days of home cooking. Since I no longer go for
traveling it somehow offset and balance back my
annual total expenditure.
My wife
told me to buy a few type of curries and eat
them with the home cooked rice. That's what I
did. I bought the talang curry, the sotong
kering, the pindang, a fried large mackerel, a
saltish egg and nasi daging ( I knew my wife
like it so I bought for her ) from one Kakak
Rengku, which cost me RM14.50. That was on the
second day of the fasting month. Other than the
nasi daging, the rest were brought to the third
day. The pindang curry moves to the fourth day.
The first
day expenditure was much less. I only bought
Nasi Dagang for my wife and a fish burger for
myself. For sohor we took only a few assorted
kueh. My freezer produce enough ice which were
used with the Twister Orange I bought a week
ago.
|
Today being
the fourth day I have not exactly
decided where about I am going to purchase the
curry. My wife asked me to request my
student to make fried rice for her. I won't do
it. If Pak Hassan open up a stall I will buy
some fish curry and sambal belacan to make
friend rice for her. I am not sure whether Pak
Hassan opens up his small restaurant. Probably
at about 3.30 pm I will drive to have a peep at
the shop.
Food at the
Ramadzan stalls are not cheap and they are of
variety. But none could lure me from buying the
real attractive delicacies. I controlled myself
not to buy.
I told my
wife that fasting means to eat less and to spend
less. That's what we are going to do. So far I
enjoyed the food at the breaking of fast and I
hope it will remain this way for the whole
month.
Ramadzan
does not stop me from carrying out my normal
exercise chores. I could not make on the first
day because the dialysis ended at 5.30 pm. On
the second day at 6.30 pm, after the domestic
work and food preparation, I had half hour of
fast walking, totalling more than a mile.
Yesterday I went out at 6.15 pm and managed to
finish about an hour of exercise.
I thank God
for the Providence and Deliverance.
13/07/2013
- Abdul Rahman Raof |
|
YOU
WOULDN'T BELIEVE IT
You
would mark it as crazy if I were to tell you what some
educated American think. The story of UFO and the aliens
is very serious in the wake of sightings of unidentified
objects in various part of the world. Americans are
blaming their Presidents for hiding the matter to the
public while working closely with the aliens.
They believe aliens are real and had taken in human
form, convinced that some of the world leaders including
the American Presidents are aliens. Even Papacy of Rome
are not real human.
But
President Reagan had announced in the United Nation that
the world is facing a common enemy, the alien. The
significant of Area 51 in Nevada is the place where the
transfer of alien technology is taking place. It was
said the alien is training the piloting of the fast anti
gravity vehicles that can travel in space faster than
light.
There are several footings exposing scientists leaking
the secret and are running away from being persecuted.
Wherever it involved high ranking people we have to
regard it as serious. Even if we think it is a mere
conspiracy and a hoax.
The
aliens in the human form are evil in nature, powerful
and they are in control of the world. Putin succumb and
bowed to the evil power.
Many thousands Americans claim they have seen and met
with the aliens. Would you believe if an American come
to tell you of his encounter with an alien ? I am sure
you would dismiss him as crazy and mentally unsound. Yet
the belief is very strong in the continent.
To
recognize the alien look at the eyes. They possess the
reptilian eyes.
A
few relate illuminati with the aliens.
The
big question is 'How many Americans are actuality
non-human but evil aliens from other world ?'
08/07/2013 - Abdul
Rahman Raof |
UMNO
AND IMAGE OF ISLAM
Don't blame the world if good deeds and other goodness
are not seen nor appreciated. Humans are just like that.
One bad thing done will be seen and remembered. There is
a Malay proverb Panas Setahun, Hujan sehari ( a year of
sunshine could be changed just by a day of rainfall ).
In life we must strive to avoid errors.
UMNO being a Malay party is always associated with Islam
unless several of UMNO representatives or Malay leaders
declare they are not Muslims. Hence being a party of
Muslims UMNO must guard the sanctity of the faith. It is
tough but it is imperative for a ruler to do.
Many Muslims have been feeling ashamed and sad at being
branded as terrorists. A name, beards and dress could
make one a victim of suspicion. As victims we appeal for
the stoppage 'enough is enough..' We know Muslim
terrorism is not innate but the making of the enemy.
But
the attitudes and the behaviors of the Muslims could
erase or enhance misconceptions. Hear what UMNO says
'Those who do not vote UMNO will not receive grant for
development', and 'because you don't vote for us you
will not be given a place for Pasar Ramadzan'. And see
what they had done by attacking the bus, destroying
vehicles, throwing stones and happily jumping at
Shahrizat's wanting to pull off her sarong.
How
could Islam be enhanced and respected at such a behavior
and attitudes ?The non-Malays would distant themselves
from the faith after seeing Muslim leaders lying and
cheating and defending crimes. The normal people do not
question hudud or circumcision or prayer and other
practices. They see how adamant, arrogant and
tyrant UMNO members can be.
Ketua Menteri Melaka and Menteri Besar Trengganu could
not be of people without faith. The Christians sent food
and help to the Muslim nations at time of hunger and
natural disasters. And the Muslims are setting
revenge and retaliations on those Muslims who disagree
with them.
Some behaviors are absolutely disgusting. Every Muslim
in questions were dodging on the issue of indelible ink.
It is a clear cut issue. It involved million of citizens
money. And everyone get away with it. To top it all I
saw these EC people with Malay attire on TV welcoming
the Ramadzan. Wasn't that an advertisement to make the
religion look bad to the others ? Is that the standard
and practice of good Muslims ?
UMNO can tell the people that it a party whose members
are good Muslims. But a good Muslim does not practice
corruption, cheatings and lying. And this is the first
time I heard of chasing another Muslim out of this
country on point of disagreement. Then they chase the
Indians and the Chinese. Is that an Islamic teaching ?
Allow me to inform the readers that if you do not like
hudud law it is fine for you but don't call all the
other Muslims to follow you and describe the bad things
of punishment for theft like what Dr Mashitoh did.
Similar of the practice of praying. If you don't like
praying then it is your prerogative but don't call all
other Muslims not to pray as you are.
09/07/2013 - Abdul
Rahman Raof |
I
GOT
THE
WORD
FINALLY
The
last time I learned English was in 1965. I was in Form 5
then. At 65, without a teacher, self taught is tough.
Being weak does not stop me from writing a blog in this
foreign language. Nobody would fail me for any amount of
grammatical errors, no teacher would pull my ears.
There is a world that I could not find in English
equivalent ie REZEKI. I asked a few persons but nobody
gave me an answer. I always want to thank God for the
REZEKI endowed on me that had me one of the luckiest
persons in this world. I have enough food and do not beg
for any.
The
search for the equivalent was halted. After all I am not
going to use it in my article all the time. So I forget
about it.
Either by co-incident or divine intervention I did not
realize the story I am now reading, Robinson Crusoe,
from the E-Book on my iPhone4, provided me with the
word. I passed it several time but only today I made a
point to look into the phrase; God's Providence.
Crusoe mentioned several times of the words Providence
and Deliverance. He had an abundance of food in the
island. He thank God for the providence.
Every cent that I got is not only for me. It is a
providence for my cat and other needy people too. Thanks
God for the word.
06/07/2013 - Abdul
Rahman Raof |
MONEY
THAT
NEVER
COME TO SCHOOL
There was a question to Mary Yap in the last
parliamentary session, about the problem of computer
maintenance. If it was an additional question, Mary
could not give an instant reply. Te situation was
complex and been hidden from the public. And the
government put OSA to protect bad officers in government
departments.
The
government did allocate money for computer repair but
schools did not receive them. The grant was not directly
awarded to schools but through another department. It
stopped there. Nobody knew what happened and none dared
to ask about it for fear of repression.
I
remember during my working days; each school was
allocated a million dollar for pest termination. There
were a group of people from the termite company chosen
by Kuala Lumpur that came to my school checking the
buildings and then went home. And never to come again.
Years later nothing happened. I complained to my
headquarters about the endangered structures and the
absence of the pest terminator. I was told that the work
was done and the money paid. 7 million ringgit paid for
the seven schools.
Somebody stole the money and be rich with it. Somebody
get away with his idiotic brand of management. It
remained a cover up.
In
case of computers and laptops even Mary Yap is not
really aware what her officers could have done with the
money. Many bad people were put in the office they were
not suppose to have. Many professionals are crook too.
07/07/2013 |
HOW
MUCH
?
When the Malays were good Muslims the way we went about
at the restaurants and food shops was different from
today. We ate first and pay later. It was a culture
everywhere. Most food vendors would ask the customers
what they ate, making mental computation and mentioned
the price.
Today thing change at many food stalls and restaurants.
You pay first before you eat. What it means is 'no money
no food'. A handful of so-called customers walked away
without paying. They did not have conscience nor fear of
God's retribution. You can't trust the Malay customers
anymore.
At
some of the Mamak restaurants the tradition of eat first
and pay later is still in practice. So are the Malay
stalls. But they would jot down the price after a fast
gathering of information of what you eat.
Paying after your meal is not always easy. People are
queuing up, and the Mamak would refer to a cigarette
paper to tell you the amount you have to pay.
But
in my case at three outlets they will ask me 'HOW MUCH
?' To Majid, the owner of Nasi Tomato, I would hand him
with a piece of currency and said 'four seventy' or
'five ninety'. The former is for beef and the later for
fish.
Two
other stalls belong to the Malays.
They know that I know the prices of the cakes and other
cookies, tea or coffee. The roti jala with dyrian gravy
costs RM3, the pulut and durian gravy is RM4, three
pieces of any kueh combined is a dollar. They didn't
check what I took but only asked me HOW MUCH.
07/07/2013 - Abdul
Rahman Raof |
MANAGEMENT IS AN ART
When mankind is out of darkness, education led to
reason, media shrinks the world, mankind cannot be
treated like the bulls and the cows. They question and
rebel.
Managing by the show of power and strength, punishment
and repression will be met with antipathy and challenge.
There will be protests in all forms and shapes that can
result in disastrous effect.
Management is an art to win the heart of the people for
a nation, and the heart of the subordinates in an
organization.
It
is an art to utilize the available resources for the
best and optimum output, the elevating of quality of the
department without the use of force or threatening
words.
Productivity and creativity will be enhanced and bloom,
moving towards excellence and enlightenment.
As
how it is to be done, the literature need a much bigger
space. What is to be conveyed here is using sword and
guns to get things done is not an art but it is a savage
and barbaric disposition; bad and ruthless.
07/07/2013 |
|
WHEN
THE END IS NEAR
Only recently an officer from Amanah Saham called me to
the office purporting to enhance my saving from my
current account. She suggested that I should take half
from the ASB and put it in the ASN. By doing it the
immediate value would increase because ASN is below one
ringgit. Her explanation was sound but I told her that I
need to think more about it, especially on the risk
side. |
|
I
told the lady that my time is near and I won't benefit
much from any increase wealth. The yearly dividend is
used to pay various taxes, rates and insurance. It is
just enough. Telling me that I would be a millionaire
within ten years time is meaningless, for I may not live
even another 5 years. Money would not help me much at
the old age. A certain amount does help but half of a
million won't.
When the end is near there are things that I have to
throw off. Ham Radio is one other beside excessive
wealth. I don't find it so much fun as before and I may
cast them into the ocean when the time come. Already I
throw the habit of going to the VHF. When the end is
near the interest began to decline.
The
interest in women too has faded very rapidly. The only
woman I have to take care is my ailing wife. I do see
beautiful women when they passed by, but without
passion. What can I do with them when the end is near.
At the dialysis center
I saw an old and tired Chinese woman whose health show
deterioration each day. I asked myself what use can she
be to the family other than spending two hundred ringgit
each day for the blood cleansing. Wouldn't the same
thing can happen to us ? Her family is kind and
responsible enough to continue supporting her.
When the end is near,
the Muslims need to ask themselves whether they have
enough preparations to bring with them to the next
world. Or else fill in the remaining time with
repentance and pray, fast and feed the poor. |
Among all, money is the most important in this world.
Several would hunt for it despite their end days. The
opportune like what was told by the Amanah Saham lady
would be good to strike. It does give a gain of a few
thousands but I told myself not to be greedy. Reap What
I have in possession, for I am not starving yet. Ageing
reduce my appetite for everything.
Before leaving this world, I am keen to see and taste
the progress that mankind has achieved. It is a short
pleasure trip to enjoy the modern technology as
computer, the smart phone, the 3D TV, the flying car and
other strong words for progress."Believe," said the
wizard of Oz."And we will achieve what we believe in by
our labor and diligence...'
I
am amazed at our former Prime Minister, Dr Mahathir, who
is still active in everything, from wealth accumulation
to the politics of confrontation. Each day we hear
comments from him about many things. He already passed
his dawn time. I believe he has a way to make himself
alive forever, the modern Dorian Gray.
When the end is near I need to do a little modification
to my life but not to the enhancing of financial profit.
Thanks God for the bread for me and my cat.
06/07/2013 - Abdul
Rahman Raof |
THE
APPLES
Apple is always
been great,
either in
the
eating
or in naming
fantastic equipments
like the iPhone
and the
Macbook.
It has been
more
than
five time my
iPhone 4 jumped
off my pocket to
the ground, with
a strong
impact and
shocking sound.
Though the edges
had been rounded
the performance remain
intact. I paid a high
price
but it
is worth the
payment. And my
Macbook Pro had
given me a great satisfaction.
My
grand daughter is
still too young.
I will be buying
her an apple
computer for usage
like some of my
friends do. So
far Apple had
not given me
any
problem like
hanging or missing
cursor. I just
love it.
Movies that show computers, showed Macbook. So much so I
came to believe Macbook is a
standard in USA.
I
have two operating systems in my Macbook Pro; the
Windows OS and the Apple OS X. All along I use the OS X
leaving the
Windows untouched,
in case my Acer
gives me problem.
Acer is used for
developing window
based software
and updating my
web page. Apple is
for general usage
mainly for
browsing and
watching movies.
I
would buy another
Apple if
I have enough money.
The price double
the Windows. I
think it is
more durable.
05/07/2013 - Abdul
Rahman Raof
|
ANG
TAU
SENG
The
red bean or ang tau
has never
been red but
brownish
in color.
It has
always
been
a
Chinese
delicacy. One of the
most popular
is ang
tau seng
or red
bean
ice.
It is
certainly
different
from Red Army bean.
The Chinese
Communist
does
not call it's
army
the
Red Army
anymore.
They use green or
grey uniform.
Certainly there are computer users who love BN
and those who loath the party. They
write blog, barking on
face book, place a forced advertisements and write feed back. Some
are volunteers and
some are paid. And the number grew, they polarized, and
form groups.
Among the cyber troopers, UMNO's were the strongest and
the rudest. Why do I say the rudest ?
A few went around
to say covering head by women is Christianity, just to
defend Rosmah. It is an
insult to the
Muslims, and UMNO cyber trooper could say that.
If
people who are out to defend themselves can get
organized or suspect to organize themselves it
was just an
obvious thing to do when threatened. Did we not hear how
many time Ibrahim Ali
threatened the
Chinese ? But the victims were not seen waving banners yelling for
all the Mamaks to go
back to India or
Pakistan.
It
is bad to slap and threaten people
and made fellow
Malaysians your
enemy, chasing people out
of the country like a
crazy hound.
Problems began
when you made yourself a supreme being or
even a god to be feared.
DAP
was tickled to death and invited the rest to taste the
Ang Tau seng.
05/07/2013 - Abdul
Rahman Raof |
|
GOD
OF
ALL
It is
strange that our earth is different from the other
planets when the historical source of their existence
was the same, the sudden happening of an explosion out
of nothingness. By the theory of Newton all the
splinters including our earth are continuously moving in
the space of the universe at the same speed away from
the point of explosion. Hence there is no question of
collusion and meteor rain. Such clash and meteor hitting
the earth only can happen if there were several
explosions at different points. |
|
And as life began they came in different forms and
shape; a snake is different from a fish, a bird from a
tiger. And there were leeches and scorpions and hundreds
and thousands of others. How could nature create purpose
when it has no mind, and created animals of different
shape and form. And why only on our earth ?
Nature has to be ridiculous not to be consistent.
No matter what they say about nature and the big bang,
my mind conceive a creator of the universe and the
world. Our mind cannot transcend what it is set for no
matter how genius we are. Our limit is that we can think
like a human being, with logic and the help of perceived
data.
If it is not by natural existence it has to be a
Creator.
People of all nations who believe in a Creator look up
at the sky with a mind of appealing or submission to
God. The God is the God to everyone and of everyone. Do
you claim that you have different God ?
If a man carved a wood shaped like any living object,
painted it with colors, giving it a name and told others
to worship it as a god then it has to be a god created
by man, newer frim the 'big bang', implying man came
first before god. |
God is forever, never been born and never die. But if
someone believes that God dies, he must also believe
that dead God can do no labor, can vanish altogether and
leaving him without one.
Though God is one
and it is a God to all and of all, there is no unity in
the definition and interpretation. Imagination takes
mankind to the world of philosophy and penned down into
volumes of books. The debate to the interpretation goes
on until now, with additional convictions and
description, which were non-existence in years before.
Questions were
asked as to the purpose of creation. Of what use to us
to know and explore the purpose ? But ask ourselves
another question 'Are we happy being created ? ' I would
say almost all human being prefer to live and be in this
world. Te fought death and pay to stay alive. Could we
feel the purpose of life that lies in our desire to live
?
Why bother God at
all ?
Because human being
seems to say that their god is the true god and willing
to die for their believe. And there were killings and
murdering, hatred and oppressions. People made god of
themselves.
03/07/2013 - Abdul Rahman Raof |
CHINESE
GIRL
FRIEND ?
Hanafi asked me
out for a
breakfast this
morning. I agreed
as I have several
matters to settle
outside. While
driving
Hanafi suddenly uttered
of a Chinese
girlfriend.
I
had one, I told
him, while I went to Mandarin
class. It was
in 1962 when I attended an
evening class
for about 1 1/2 years. It was
that time I had
one. I was in Form II
then.
The
reason I penned
this story is not about
the girl friend
but about the students who
went to study
Mandarin.
The
students were
between 10 to about 25
years. One Malay
businessman exceeded 30.
The other Malay
was me. The rest were 90%
Chinese female
and about 10% Chinese boys.
As
I remember none of
the Chinese knew
English. They did
not go to English school,
nor the Malay
school. The fact that they went
to evening
class
indicated two things; they
were busy
working
helping their parents who
were not
so
concern about education
and secondly they
simply did not attend school at
all.
That was in 1960's. I don't know whether Chinese kids
still do not go school today, which I don't think so
will happen.
We
may be different
but there is some
similarities that
we don't know about. Poor people
are poor
people regardless of a race
or creed. There is no
reason to sow the seed of hatred among ourselves.
What of the
girl
who
was so kind to me and
sat beside
me
? When I
stopped schooling I
did not
see
her anymore.
Probably because I
was too young
then. And
I forget all the past
girlfriends and
never
to see one again.
30/06/2013 |
THE
RUNNING
MAN
The
running man is a movie I watched from the Youtube. It is
a fiction for pure entertainment. But thinking it
carefully it is a philosophical movie and mankind whose
value system has changed back to savagery, enjoying to
see a duel of death.
The
running man is a person whom the public saw as a bad
criminal portrayed by invented event judged as guilty.
He was to be hunted by one of the gladiators chosen by
the spectators of the Running Man TV show. The public
saw the hunters as the heroes and the hunted as a
villain.
This is what happen in today's politic; the ruling party
made the opposition members as the enemy of the states
using all the available media and resources.
For
more than 20 years all the running men, being hunted and
killed, witnessed by people through the TV. But in
this show the victim was hard to beat. The hunter with
the killing weapons were all subdued and died. The
public were sad as the gladiators were defeated.
The
Running Man is not the only show depicting in the shift
of human value. There were several others like the
Hunger Game, where people were brought together to kill
each other. The one survivor would be a winner.
The
population regarded the game of killings as
entertainment.
Equating the movies and our political situation, I find
it is no more a fiction. It is almost equal in nature.
Suppressing the truth by eliminating the whistle blower,
the creation of false evidence and lies about the
enemies were severed during the period of Mahathir and
drag to the very date.
The
time will come, one way or the other, the evil will be
destroyed. Someone will be the hero, fighting hard to
bury the tyrants who think they are invincible. If you
have come across the movie, watch it again.
30/06/2013 |
AMATEUR RADIO - EDUCATION OF ETHICS AND MANNERS
Having a ticket and talking over the radio isn't an
achievement and something to be proud of. Having a
ticket but never came on the band even once is nothing
to be proud of. And having a ticket and encouraging
pirates are worst of it's kind.
Bad
boys don't like to be told that they are bad. They will
retaliate like mad dogs. Bad boys will break law and
when caught will say they are new hams and do not know
the law, and fight to create doubts. They throw curst
and slur on the band thinking they could escape
forgetting they left filth on the ham band, pulling down
the sanctity of amateur radio and the nationality and
religion they professed.
It is hard for a ham
that sprang from a pirate to change. At least a few who
will continue the bad habit of propagating piracies and
march on the band forbidden to them, and speak in the
lingo of the perpetrator. There is always a fear of
using a foul language at the international level.
Even downplaying a big
offense purporting it to be insignificant is equal to
committing the offense themselves. We know of hams who
let their kids talk to the mic as if it is a mere toy.
Going around to make illegal things legal is bad enough.
I never know, or it
may had passed my notice, that hams who went to MCMC for
discussion ever brought out the subjects of ethics and
manners. Instead I heard a phrase 'rules are made to be
broken'. Meeting with MCMC was merely to pressure for
approval what they think is good and right.
Do we hear anyone
saying hams and ham band cannot be controlled because
the population is too big and we are lack of man power ?
The lack of ethical
conducts emerge from our 'couldn't care less' attitude.
Minding people's business can have bad repercussion and
vulnerable to attack, insult and retaliation. Malaysian
hams were known to be violent over the matter of
radio, and confrontation over piracy and other unethical
conducts.
RAE, education and
enforcement must combine force to combat mischief , bad
habits and lawlessness. Examination and passing format
need changes. Incorrect answer for a certain vital
questions means fail. This is in area of regulation.
Every question to be pooled for the test has to pass the
analysis test. And every person who want to be a ham
must go for a special education and pass the course. Itis not only on regulation but also matters of
manners and ethics. I did overheard a Malaysian ham
questioning the experience Indonesians on the style of
Indonesian SOP, purporting to show ours is better.
Finally there must be a stringent enforcement and arrest
of those flouting with the rules. Let the court decide
after hearing the explanation.
I would
like to ask the organizer
of the Malaysian Radio Convention whether there is any
paper on such a subject matter. A convention must
be holistic in nature, to cover every aspect of
non-broadcast stations that are using equipments that
can intrude into ham frequencies, surveillance and
control, scanning of would be amateurs, fees and
frequency allocations, technicalities and last but not
least the global image of Malaysians on the band.
Even if in their
perception that there is no problem of unethical and
rowdy hams in Malaysia, they have to give equal attention as
to the others.
30/06/2013 - Abdul Rahman Raof |
2003
RADIO
CONVENTION
Out
of the blue someone organized the radio convention at
UKM Bangi. Does anyone wonder the reason behind this
convention at this point of time after the
recent revival of MARTS ? Some persons involved had been to the
MCMC to discuss issues, and pushing hams to defy the
authority, and never seriously discuss the issues of
ethics, piracies and rogue behaviors on the band.
This meeting
is either for the good of amateur radio or hiding behind
it a form of
hidden deception, and to show strength and putting pressure
on the authority to submit to their demands.
I
am not against the convention, neither do I support it.
I just say it is not necessary unless it has some
illicit and malicious purposes. It is just like the nightly
eye-balling of the hams, which is not necessary, for
they have the radio to chat with at their own convenient time.
There had been an anger that the MCMC only recognize
MARTS. MARTS is said to consist of people who do not
know about ham radio and people of bad characters. Once,
before, a
certain person in MARTS opened up an office at the MCMC and
seek to manage amateur radio in this country. The same
person is said to be controlling the society today.
MARTS therefore needs to be crushed. In this convention
the strong muscle will be flexed.
If
MARTS consists of problematic people the non-MARTS
people too consists of some sickly and problematic people.
The dissatisfaction is just because they are not in there.
As
I said before the root of the current problems was the
9Ms themselves. Refusing to reap what they sow is too
bad. If the EC said it is the act of God that the
indelible ink became washable then these people are now
saying 'Only God knows the future', again throwing
excuses as a defense mechanism. They can do no wrong.
Even if my wife is not sick, I won't go to the
convention because I have better things to do. A job is
always ahead of a hobby. It provides bread and butter
for the family. Today's radio is fanning hatred and
enmity.
29/03/2013 - Abdul
Rahman Raof |
HAVE
SHAME OR HAVE MORALITY
Shame is a feeling
of guilt of what we are, the
feeling of
something wrong with
ourselves that is
not complied to
the norm. Civilize people should
have such
an emotion. Animals don't.
A
man walking nude
in public is the same as the
man who take
your 7 million ringgit to burn it and
tell you right
in your face 'What are you going to
do to me ?'
He is as shameless as a man who show
his penis to
people around him.
If
he does not
possess a religious morality, we
expect that
he would own some morality that comes
from his
conscience.
First we have to
look at ourselves. Do we have
shame or
religious morality ? Do we always throw
stupid
excuses for everything ?
Do we always tell lies
and cheat anybody
at our disposal ?
Then we look
around us and see and observe
shameless
people. There are many out there,
parading themselves
with pride of the sins
committed. They
look at you and say, "What
can you do ?
"
Such are the men
from EC and people who use
public money
for the cow-condo.
29/06/2013 |
The
late 9M2MX who was quite regular working CW with me. He
came down to Alor Setar and I had the opportunity of
visiting his shack before he passed away.
His
CW was clean and excellent. I really enjoyed Morse code
communication with Pak Mus. He asked me a question which
I am still wondering until today, "Man, do you send CW
from your mind...."
"Certainly," I replied."I copy your sending with my mind
too."
30/06/2013 |
THE
SILENCE OF OLD HAMS
Several old hams trying to make a come back. Bahar,
Eshee and me were active on MARTS national link. After
some time rude people began to come in and causing a lot
of interference and insult, not only to the 9Ms but also
to the 9Ws. These sick guys didn't even like to hear
good topics discussed. I heard two hams were talking
about camera and photography, which were resourceful and
interesting. Then somebody pushed the PTT to cut them
off.
And
on HF they never seem to stop until now. They puch CW
key because some 9M told CW is not allowed on 7.042. And
record the conversation and play back, and did all sort
of disturbances. Such kind of incidences did not happen
before this very age of ham radio enlightenment in
Malaya.
I
don't know how many of these will go on bands that are
not given to them under the pretext of not knowing the
law. But bad habits will be in their blood, not only in
ham radio but in anything else. If it is hereditary then
the whole family will be carrying the same habits. The
off springs will post problems to the friends and the
school.
Rather than fighting back some of those old hams prefer
to stay silent.
26/06/2013 - Abdul
Rahman Raof |
CRIME
TO
TELL
THE
TRUTH
The
latest hunted by USA is Edward Snowden, a spy agency
contractor who
exposed US government surveillance of the
internet and phone
traffic. Would it be a secret when we all
know most
governments spy on it's own people through
internet and phone
exchanges. Snowden was not the only one.
Whistle blowers in Malaysia were harassed and dragged to
court.
OSA
was suppose to protect misconducts and power abuse and
even corruption.
Government servants cannot voice their
grievances and
expose crimes in the offices. A public remark
by an officer
about the washable indelible ink could earn him
an immediate transfer and demotion.
The
case in the limelight is the cow-condo public money
spending. Rafizi is facing the music for exposing how
the public money had been used to enrich Shahrizat's
family.
When morality and religion profess truth and honesty,
politicians prefer the culture of lies and deceptions.
People are still questioning who approved the C4 and a
Minister's bodyguard.
27/06/2013 -
Abdul Rahman Raof |
PERFECT
ME
The
rest of the world
are
not perfect.
That's the reason I have been criticizing
the wickedness
and the
stupidity and evil of other people.
I have a pleasure of
going
around and whisper poison into their
ears about the
evil of so
and so.
What is my purpose
of degrading
the others
and laughing at their folly ?
It is none other than
protruding
my own self; my
greatness. I would
be pompous and
raise my
voice to draw agreement.
Actually I am
smart enough to be
a lawyer, an engineer
or a doctor but my parent was too poor to provide me
with proper education. The fact that I am not does not
mean I am not capable. Paper qualifications and degree
do not match my mental acuteness.
I
am smart enough to use
people to get what I want.
They are very impressed with
my perfection, ability,
and kindness. Only one or two
useless guys who are
bad enough not to follow what I told them.
In
short I am the best and the greatest. I can get away
with many things which others may not. And most of all I
am fit to be your leader. Please use a little thinking
to know who I am.
28/06.2013 - Abdul
Rahman Raof |
ALEX
AND BODY BUILDING
Like many others I don't remember the first time I
talked to 9M2RI, Alex. It was impossible to say I knew
Alex before I was a ham. A university friend of mine,
Nordin, who worked In Prime Minister's department told
me about his jobs and some of the people he knew. Could
he have mentioned the name Raja Iskandar to me when at
the time I was not a ham yet. He also mentioned
Adibah Amin and I could not recall the relationship
between the two.
Alex that I knew through ham radio was a writer and
wrote several plays for television. He would always
response to my CQ call. His signal was never below S9
mark from the start till his absence from the band.
We
talked about many things, mostly academic and
intellectual stuffs. He said several other hobbies like
music and body building. He described how he homebrewed
a guitar step by step, and made tools for body building
exercise.
A
little of weigh lifting would avoid him from a certain
sickness, he said.
Alex spoke excellent English like 9M2FZ did. We always
enjoyed our conversation as his vast knowledge was
bottomless and I was fond of throwing him with barrages
of questions.
To
tell you the truth Alex is younger than his age. You
will never guess his age right if you see him.
Whenever he came on OB Hanafi, 9W2TZ, would message him
giving him a very poor report, which made him asking me
to confirm of his signal strength. He must have thought
I was dishonest in giving the report as Hanafi's
contradict mine.
Later he vanished from the air. I blamed Hanafi. But
during the eyeball he said he has problem with his
landlord, who did not allow him to erect antenna on the
premise.
Let
me take the opportunity here to warn any ham who
received SMS from 9W2TZ giving signal strength, to
ignore the report. Take the report from your
counterparts who are working with you.
25/06/2013 - Abdul
Rahman Raof |
CODE
AND NO-CODE HAMS STILL MAD AT EACH OTHER IN USA
The
start of the sour and split when one wise and powerful
guy decided for the n-code rule. Once it becomes law it
cannot be retracted. No amount of regret can undo it. It
has been quite some years FCC executed no-code rule. By
now we expect all the hams should embrace each other.
The debate and exchanges are still on though nothing
could be done about it.
A
few run their own
pro-CW web
site, like KK9G, And there are in as
much who opened up sites condemning the code-hams. Such
split has never happened in the history of ham radio.
Strange things have
been happening these days. What were considered as
abnormal are regarded as normal, like the culture of
lies and corruptions. Even a President can tell lie
straight in your face.
My stand on the code
still remain. I define ham radio as a totality of the
traditional package created by our fore-fathers that
carries RAE and Morse. Without them they can be called
something else. I also believe the coders are
better than those without in many ways. I would not
award anything free to the lazy people.
But USA is not
Malaysia. It professes it's own value system. I can't
speak for her. If I
can't talk to each of the individual ham, I have to
depend on the website to solicit their views and
opinions.
Deep contemplation
will show it is not a factor of code or no-code but it
lies in type of people embracing the hobby; their
attitudes, demeanor, ethics and morality. It would be
praiseworthy to have ethical, trustworthy, good manners
and people who respect law and orders. Hams should
protect and prevent this hobby from being penetrated by
undesirable elements.
A bad ham will flout
rules, disturbing people on the band and when caught
will say he does not know the rule. He support pirates
and call upon his friends to operate as pirates,
and use political ticket to justify the mischief done.
Whatever ham radio
will meet a new fate and will move out of traditional
direction. People want something new, which they
consider as progress. Gay marriage is modern and new. |
EFFECT OF MICROWAVE - ONG
Honestly I don't remember Ong's call sign. I can't refer
to old logbook that was destroyed by the termites. Ong
was one of those hams working in RTM besides
9M2GL(Idris) and 9M2BH(Lim). He worked in the mw area,
sending and receiving broadcast signals for TV.
Ong
was not so regular, busy with his work, but he seemed to
be comfortable chatting with me. I considered him
as as a large person, very well verse in electronics and
good with his hands.
He
told me that the RTM always bought extra gadget for the
technician to rip and put them back together. Ask
anything technical and electronic he would explain in
detail.
He
told me of his observations. He and his friends who work
in the microwave section did not have baby boys. There
was some effect of the microwave on men's body,
engineered the genes and chromosome parts that went with
the semen to bring a kind of female babies.
I
was just told that Ong passed away. I really missed him.
25/06/2013 - Abdul
Rahman Raof |
9M2RB RASLI NOT RUSLI
The only man who would
call Rusli as Rasli was the late 9M2BS. Rusli on the
other hand would call him Big Stomach. On the air Brown
Sugar is well known to all.
If you were to go to
electronic or electrical shop. look for transformers or
power supply with a brand name EKK. EKK stands for Ewe
Kuan Kew, the grand man from Penang, 9M2BS. He may be in
the other world but his company still run and kicking.
I vaguely remember
someone told me that 9M2BS was a co-founder of MARTS.
But I do not know who was the other founder.
He was not too regular
but at least once a week he would make himself available
talking to the rest especially the Penang gang. If 9M2RB
was not around he would ask me, "Rahman, Where is OB
Rasli ? "
Penang group was quite
big. The very active on 40 meter was Chow, Leong,
Eustace, Chong and Mal. Eshee would join Idris and
Rajamani group ( sometimes known as the Nong Brabu and
Bamboo formula gang).
I would go to Dato'
Tan when all other groups were too big. |
WHATEVER HAPPEN TO BURUNG HANTU ?
Whatever happen to Burung Hantu is beyond my guess.
9M2BH, Lim Phang Choo, an RTM man operated his station
from Kajang. Like any other RTM staffs his signal was
very strong.
It
has been decades that Lim disappeared from the band and
I don't know whether he is still in Kajang or migrated
somewhere else. Other people do not seem to him as well.
I
won't forget him because of the special memory he
brought to me. It was about Sharifah Aini. I can't
remember how we came to talk about the singer. When Lim
told me that he was a good friend of the classic singer
I was very surprise as well as excited. When Lim asked
me whether I wanted to meet her, I did not believe it.
To me it was a great joke.
One
day the RTM crews came to Jitra. In the evening Lim rang
me up saying he was in Jitra, and added that Sharifah
Aini agreed to meet me during the show. He asked me to
be there at about 8 pm.
It
seemed like a fairy tale story. Nevertheless I dressed
myself up quite prettily. When night fell and I was to
move out there was a heavy downpour. I drove in the
heavy rain. On arriving I found the field was flooded
with water. People with umbrellas found themselves a
higher place. There were several stages for different
shows.
I
rang up Lim who told me to go to which stage. I told him
I could not make it due to strong downpour and the
soaking field. I wated for more than hour but the rain
did not subside. The wind did not abate and the water
was raising. I told Lim that I had to go home and told
him to send my best regard to Sharifah Aini. It was
fated that I could not meet her.
How
interesting if one of these days 9M2BH would pop up on
the band, and at least I could recall the past nostalgic
event in Jitra.
25/06/2013 - Abdul Rahman Raof |
TIME
IS
A
FACTOR
OF
MIND
The
speed of time varies from moment to moment. 10 minutes
of waiting for your love ones to arrive is painful and
like forever. Another 10 minutes of togetherness and
happiness then departure is too short a moment.
Everyone experience this phenomena of time stress. Many of
us still remember the speech of President Sukarno who
could speak so well that spellbound the listeners for
hours and hours without realizing of the time length. The
few hours seem to be short and quick to pass. A 40
minutes with a fierce history teacher was like a year.
The
past six months of year 2013 seems to be too quick for
me, a week just like a couple of days and a month like a
week. My mind did not think of it because I have been
busy with my wife. Today I take her to dialysis.
Tomorrow is a free day but she wakes up late and I will
be with my computer. The next day will be Wednesday,
almost at the tail end of one week. The daily task and
routine compresses the time and time slipped my mind.
In
other words if you think about time, it will be long and
agony. To be at a place you don't like and hear a boring
talk seems to be like years.
Whatever, time is long if you think about it, and
short if you don't.
Passing 50 or 60 years is fast. There is always a useful
question; what useful thing have I done within those
years ?
24/06/2013 - Abdul Rahman Raof |
Out
of necessity at least 1/3 of living is in sleep. We
never think about it. A person of 30 years old would be
sleeping 10 years. The remaining 20 years could be
anything from being lazy to being hard working and
productive. The 20 years are divided into the period of
school and working days.
Another 10 years is spent in school. If we labor
ourselves in study and other school activities time pass
quickly and the students will always complaint of 'no
time' for many things. Those who are disinterested and
lazy would find each school day is a long drudgery
period to bear with.
The
remaining period is the path to total adulthood and the
dawn of our lives. My perception of myself is I am
lacking in knowledge, skill and other abilities. To
compensate the lost is almost impossible even how hard I
try. To acquire those skills will take more than 7 or 8
years, if permitted by physical strength and mental
agility permit, which we know will not be possible.
We
grow old so fast because we don't think about it. We
don't tell that we are old by ourselves, but the mirror
we look into everyday, the people outside who call you
brother, uncle and grand pa, by the doctors who tell us
our lung and muscle is weaker due to ageing.
If
we are told we have 5 more years to live we say it is
too short and pray for longevity. If we are locked in
prison for 5 years in prison for corruption and abuse of
power we will say it is too long and painful. Time is a
factor of mind.
Cascading time into different periods, their
characters are different. 50 years in year 1700 for
instant is longer than 50 years of the current period.
We have much more things to do and more busy with our
lives than before. In 1700 people sleep when night fell.
In 2013 people may be drinking and dancing in the bar.
To
the Muslims the formula is simple and clear; work hard
as if you are going to live forever. Be pious and obey
God as if you are going to die tomorrow.
Do
you ever feel time is too short and has to miss the many
things you desire to do ? |
|
KACANG KUDA, BAMBOO FORMULA AND ALTORO KAHUNI
9M2FK |
|
Yesterday,
23 rd of June 2003, I took Hanafi, 9W2TZ, to Pendang to
buy goreng pisang and kacang rebus.
Pendang is about 16 mile away from my home. Taking a
highway would cost me RM3.10 but it is faster to reach
and more comfortable as the traffic was nor heavy. On
the way back Hanafi reminded me about Rajamani, 9M2RJ,
who always asked whether the chatting buddies took
kacang kuda when came on the band. |
The story of kacang kuda started with 9M2FK, Eshee. But
it was a second stuff brought out by the legendary Eshee.
The first was
bamboo formula
. As to when and how the
topic came on the band passed my grasp. But when Eshee,
Rajamani, Idris, Ari and a few others were on there
would be a joke and accompanied by a roar of laughter,
when the word bamboo would was
mentioned.
I was puzzled what it was all about , and endeavored to find out
more about it. The mystery could only be resolved
through eye-balling. When I went to Eshee's house the
story was revealed.
Bamboo formula was about the manhood; how to get a
strong erection and a lasting sex. A bamboo size bigger
than your sex organ and about 6" long is cut. Every
morning during the first urination, pushing the penis
hard into pressing the pubic part, and piss
inside it. It is continued to be pressed until
the urine is cool.
That's just about it.
The common question on the band was whether Rajamani or
Idris had cut the six inch bamboo and tried to venture
into it. Ari would always had a big laugh.
24/06/2013 - Abdul Rahman Raof |
"If you don't have a bamboo,"said
Eshee,"there Is
one other way. Use
kacang kuda."
Everyone stayed
quiet listening to Eshee. The best kacang
kuda was the
smaller ones and brown in color. Cook it. Put the kacang
in a bowl and place it on top of the roof or at any
higher place at night to collect the dew. When consumed
it made the manhood strong and lasting too as the
bamboo.
So when the crowd gathered on the band Rajamani would
commented that he had taken kacang kuda and in turn
asked Ari whether he did.
For the kacang it is easier to find as compared to the
bamboo.
When Zainal came back from Germany, we always heard the
ending '73 altoro kahuni'. And became a daily practice
for quite some time. If you want to know what it means
go and ask Zainal, Rashid or Rajamani.
Eshee is still alive but has not fully recover from
stroke. His voice has not return to normal. Let us pray
for his full recovery.
Thanks to Hanafi
for reminding me of Rajamani's
kacang kuda. |
THE
TALE OF IKAN LOMPAT . REMEMBERANCE OF 9M2EG |
LOVE
3D
MOVIES
The
first 3D movie I saw was Captain E-O in Disneyland
California way back in 1980's. The excitement was almost
ecstatic. It was Michael Jackson in 3D. Never in
my life I ever believed that I can watch it at home.
Today I have a 47" LED flat screen TV at home, bought at
the price of RM3.5 K. It is a high definition stuff that
provides excellent clarity. The sales girl gave me a few
3D movies copied to a 500 gigabyte hard disk. And with a
laborers search and patience I could gather a few more.
The
movies shot in 3D are enjoyable to watch. Even the
animation is fantastic. It contains depths and distance.
Watching alone, I would pull my chair about 3-4 feet
away from the screen and entertained myself with full
pleasure.
Depth and distance made me see a near and far objects in
layers. The nearest is just in front of my eyes and I
would stretch my hands to capture the object or touch a
person. Many a time I saw my brother in law dodged his
head seeing a flying object coming to hit him.
I
have not seen the complete 3D movies in my keeping. I
classified them by the quality of protrusion of depth
and the effect by renaming movies starting with numbers.
Those with the poorest effect will go at the bottom.
If
you ask me which is the best, I would not be able to
say. One of the latest I watched was The Final
Destination, a horror and mysterious fiction. It can
make you scared. There was no ghost and no apparition,
neither was there a murder.
Cartoon, the Madagascar, is one of the finest 3D. I
asked my student's son whether he like to watch cartoon,
he rejected it. Animation movies themselves are
commendable and fantastic.
24/06/2013 - Abdul Rahman Raof |
I didn't know
much about my ham friends. There are some questions that
I won't ask them unless they revealed themselves. One is
about their jobs and salaries, their kids' occupations
and things related to their personal affairs. |
I
did not know about 9M2EG's profession when he was alive.
But he told me he traveled to Europe and other Asian
countries with the Ipoh cultural group. He could not be
a dancer certainly. He had to be an officer of some
sort.
Ari
told me about his son, an engineer, taking a job in
Canada earning a handsome salary every now and then.
Then he got a grandson. He would narrate about him with
felicity.
The
best I remember Ari was about a SEANET in
Jogjakarta. I don't remember the year. We talked over
the air about the trip. In the course of the
conversation we mentioned about the Halal Food. "Don't
worry about it," he said."I will take care of it".
Days after we were informed that he had contacted the
SEANET organizer and discussed the Halal matter.
9M2RB, Rusli, arranged a ticket for me. We were to meet
a Medan ham in Jogjakarta wo had been very regular with
us on 40 meter band. 9M2OK, Osman, went with his wife,
Ari with someone else I don't remember who.
24/06/2013 - Abdul
Rahman Raof |
At
Jogjakarta we met with hams that we always talk to.
There were YLs hams as many as OM. Ari too was busy
meeting with people and laugh and joke with them.
Before lunch Ari reminded us again not to woory about
food.
Before the meal there was an announcement for the
Muslims that the food was guaranteed Halal.
The
lunch was good, tasty and delicious. I chose my favorite
but I did not remember which. After completion we set to
rest and chat again, while some went for the souvenirs.
Rusli approached me, "Having a good luch ?" He asked. I
said it was superb. He asked again, "Do you take Ikan
Lompat ( the jumping fish)?" I was puzzled. I told him I
didn't take any fish or even the crab's legs. "The crab leg
was the ikan lompat. It is a frog." I had a big laugh.
Osman took it too. I consoled Osman that it was good for
skin, a medication.
We
were looking for Ari but not could not be seen anywhere. |
|
FACES OF EMOTION AND EXPLOITATION |
|
There are two faces of emotion,. One is the anger, the
vicious, destructive and the warlike. And the other the
is the loving, felicity, forgiving and submissiion. Even
the angry and furious savage can be tamed to submission
by the wisdom of the brain. Any battle between emotion
and a brain will finally give victory to the later.
The
early colonial power observed the Malays as emotional
people, savage and destructive, stupid and easily
deceived. Even in the present centuries the English is
manipulating them for their own benefit. They want our
money. They want to profit. JPA knows what the British
is doing. You should smell something fishy when
Australian university conferred an honorary degree to
Prime Minister's wife. Is it not about refugees ?
Taming the savage by the show of respect will cool the
fury, and out of felicity will surrender everything. The
systematic encroachment won the British the whole country.
The
extremist UMNO leaders could and had been overwhelmed by a
mere show of concern and hypocrisy of care, even to ask
about a small pain in the leg (
happened to Mahathir). The tiger stopped roaring and
lost the course of thinking and conceded to appeal.
It
is easy to command and mastering over the Malays than the
other race, just by exploiting the right emotion. Taking
a Malay land is easy, but to take a
Chinese land is hard and laborious, no matter what
law they apply.
While the leaders were being tamed and deceived, these
leaders in turn exploit the poor Malays. The top
was the brain
over sentiment and the bottom was the greed over
sentimental Malays. To gather the support and sympathy
just inject the sentiment of anti-Chinese. The
benefactors conned the UMNO leaders by the manipulation
of sentiments, and reap the loot. The UMNO leaders conned the Malays to
gain support. They are not concerned in freeing these
people from mental slavery, or to upgrade their
skills to be competitive professionals.
I see the
gangsters and hooligans are running around the Facebook
barking shit. All along they live with destructive
sentiments. How much are they paid by UMNO is something
to be wondered about. |
The
Malays can't afford to continually breed hooligans.
Proper education could abate them away from bad habits
and rogue sentiments. Or were they the people who
dropped out of universities and schools ? Or jobless
graduates ?
How
many Malays have freed themselves from the emotional
cocoon and using reasons to make daily decision and
national policy ? It is hard to say. But there are some.
The numbers may be significant.
Lately we see a powerful nation like USA is pursuing the
psychological approach in dealing with those they see as
rogue. Instead of showing it's force around North Korean
territory and the war game in the South, USA chose to
withdraw those forces from the war zone to cool down the
young Kim Un Jong. And similar psychological effort is
played on Iran.
Many of us may still remember nations that went to war
over football game. It happened in 1969 between Honduras
and El-Salvador. The quarrel in the stadium spilled
over throughout the country and between borders. Both nations were at war for four days.
People were puzzle because war broke out because of
football. In fact the detail was a story about a bad
leadership and governance, about the appeal to sentiment
rather concerted effort to build and run a nation, about
reason and maturity.
Do
you think the British and the Australian didn't watch
and observe the civility of our leadership ? The
emotional outburst, the roar and the pointing of fingers
against the citizen did portray the residue of the
defined race. The Malays of 1800 and 2013 never change
much.
23/06/2013 - Abdul
Rahman Raof
|
|
NAME
USE
IN
RADIO |
|
When I
first became a ham I was told about name to be used in
radio. It should not be a full name. A name like Abdul
Rahman should be avoided. Eshee is a name used by Ismail
Razak, 9M2FK and Mal is Malcom. Malaysian Chinese do not
much problem with name, Huang Lai Hau is either Huang or
Hau. |
One
interesting name to be noted is the one adopted by
9M2RI. The real name of the operator is Raja Iskandar.
Raja Iskandar reminded us of the King Raja Iskandar
Zulkurnain. In the Malay Anal there is a mythology of
the origin of Malayan Sultanate from Raja Iskandar
Zulkurnain. Historians relate the person to Alexander
the Great, the same man with the Malay and English name.
9M2RI prefer the great and grand title of Alexander the
Great. He chose Alex for short to Alexander the Great.
Alex used to be active but stopped after I heard
criticism from 9W2TZ about his weak signal. But Alex
denied it saying he has problem with his landlord. He is
not allowed to erect any form of antenna.
Ari
was a short form of Ariffin, 9M2EG, who passed away
during my absence. He is very jovial and always had
stories to tell.
Two
syllable names are common in the world. You will hear
thousands of Alex or Igor of Russians. Peter, David,
Ahmad, Zaki andhairie are examples of two syllable
names.
I
underwent three radio names; Rahman, Abdul and Man.
Currently if you hear Malaysian hams calling me Rahman,
it means they are old hams. 9M2LC, Lim, started to call
me Man even from the beginning.
22/06/2013 - Abdul
Rahman Raof |
The
transformation began when one day I worked an Arabian
King whom I was not aware as one. His Royal Highness
scolded me for using that name, saying it is a name
belongs to God. True indeed the word Rahman and Rahim
are a few of God's 99 names. Giving him my whole name
was not a problem. He suggested that I used Abdul.
So
Abdul was my new radio name when working DX stations. On
the local band it did not changed no matter how hard I
tried to inform that what transpired out of my previous
QSO with HZ station.
Thinking over, Abdul is two syllable. After all Lim had
been calling me Man all the time. My last radio name is
MAN.
Asians are Asians. The courtesy of respects is hard to
shake off though they know in ham radio titles are to be
ignored. Tunku, Dato', Tan Seri, Sir and Cikgu should be
avoided. But how could we call Tunku Archibald as Archie
or Tan Seri Aman Shah as Aman ?
We
keep carry the title in the name and followed by others.
New hams called me Cikgu. I would feel younger and more
comfortable with the name Man. 9M2ZN and 9M2PJU obliged
to address me with just Man, my radio name.
New
hams should always remember to speak slowly and clearly
when giving their names on the DX band, |
to
help the other side. Or else exchanging name only would
consume a few wasted minutes.
As
for a place name let it be full. Who would understand us
if we were to say 'My QTH is PEN' to mean Penang or 'My
QTH is GANU' to mean Kuala Trengganu. ? But in CW I did
hear 'QTH is LA CA'. It happened many know LA CA means
Los Angeles California. Still I would say it is not good
to use a short form for place names.
Refering back to Eshee, one might ask where did the name
come from ? According to 9M2FK, who is in bed for
stroke, ESHEE is a name called by the Japanese during
Japanese occupation.
It
is easier to call him Eshee rather than Ismail. He
worked in a Japanese sub-marine in gathering
intelligence. Young Eshee was handsome and strong. Even
a Japanese lady officer fell for him. To hear more of
the story you need to wait until Eshee is able to speak
again.
If
I am not mistaken 9M2GL has the longest radio name;
I-DA-RES instead if ID-RIS.
If
we keep a list of radio names we will find that Russia
has the most identical radio name. No matter at what
speed they send, I could always copy the name ALEX and
IGOR. |
KERONCONG FROM 9M2DW
The
chat with 9M2DW didn't go until night time. At night I
worked a lot of Indonesian stations from Java because of
the strong and clear signal. One of the stations which
was regular to me was YB0HH, A.K. Jailani. If I heard
Pak Lani working DX stations I just monitored his
communication.
A.K
Jailani was a Chinese by ethnicity. He told me his story
from his younger days till the time of our chat. He
attended Quaran class, able to read the Holly book,
wearing sarong and fought hard for his Indonesian
identity. He was not a Muslim. That was the secret he
whispered on the air.
Most important of all he was an artist, well known as a
Keroncong singer and had made many albums. Pak Lani was
not just an ordinary man. So we talked about Keroncong
as well.
I
informed Dato' Tan of my regular conversation with Pak
Lani, who had passed away a long time ago. When I
brought up the topic on Keroncong Dato' Tan picked it up
happily. :Keroncong is my favorite," he would say." I
hear it every day."
We
discuss the type and the origin of Keroncong. I came to
learn that there was a possibility that Keroncong
originated in Holland. The Dutch brought it to the Malay
Archipelago. A few days later I received a package from
Muar, containing cassettes on Keroncong. I learned that
Dato' posted to other hams too.
Really the Keroncong mentioned by Dato' was beautiful,
very beautiful. Dato' had the taste for music too.
Who
else got the Keroncong from 9M2DW ?
22/06/2013 - Abdul
Rahman Raof |
When
I first emerged at 9W2TZ's house Yusoff and 9M2PN,
Tsangao, did nor know who I was. 9M2NP had never seen me
before. Yusoff saw me but at that time I had mt
spectacle on. |
WORKING CW
On
every Sunday more than 30 years ago there were several
CW stations by the local hams. During my SWL days I used
to copy 9M2CF, Chow, working with local hams. I could
remember only a handful who would go Morse from time to
time. Eshee, Idris and Chow. And when I became a ham I
worked with all these stations.
New
CWers came up after 2000. Among them were 9M2MX, Pak
Mustaffa and 9M2FF, Yusoff.
Yusoff was one of the finest CW man. The normal speed of
12 wpm had been our practice. I didn't know how to use
electronic key then. The Hi-Mound straight key gave me
hundreds of local and DX contacts.
Then 9M2MX passed away and Yusoff had problem with his
antenna. Until today Yusoff never came back. Otherwise
he would be telling me about his running, participating
in the international run and the Penang bridge
competition. The CW rag chew had always been fun and
interesting. At 12 wpm almost every ham could copy.
In
the later part of this century Mazwan, 9M2ZN, and Yee,
9M2YP, were regular. I worked Yee almost every day until
he totally disappeared, never to hear him either on SSB
or Morse. And Mazwan is busy with his wife's farmland.
CW
needs constant practice in copying. Abandoning it will
inject rust, a great one until we will lose our total
ability to copy. Even the sending will be followed by
tons of errors. Even though the locals seem to vanish, I
make a point to listen to it, whether of the Indonesian
contacts in their local lingo or the DX English rag
chew.
22/06/2013 |
Eat
Banana With Cheese by 9M2DW
Dato' Tan bin Hussein, 9M2DW, was a magistrate. He would
narrate cases he threw out because of negligence of the
prosecutor. He was right and fair. The story made us
have a big laugh at the end of the day.
As
usual our communication started of with daily chores,
started with what we did in the morning and the time of
the chat. Dato' told us he seldom had a breakfast but
began with a BRUNCH. Until today I did not consult any
dictionary whether the word exist. BRUNCH means a meal
that we take between the time of breakfast and lunch.
That will be our breakfast as well as our lunch.
Dato' said one of his favorite food was banana. How many
of us take banana as our breakfast or lunch ? He did not
east just the banana but always accompanied by cheese.
The cheese was cut into several pieces; bite the banana
and put the cheese in the mouth; there was a taste of
sweetness and there was a taste of saltiness.
I
did not try the combination though I was told by ham
friends they did try and the taste was fantastic.
Datok Tan was well known as Dancing Witches, not only by
the local hams but world wide. I was still active when
Dato' was first strike by the diabetes. He passed
away during my long absence.
22/06/2013 - Abdul
Rahman Raof |
THE
HI AND THE MONEY BY 9M2WT
Bill, 9M2WT, went to Ginza as many other tourists with
his friends, to drink, relax and have some fun. He told
me several interesting stories about his travel and how
they even missed the plane. And he never stopped
traveling till the end of his days.
The
Ginza story was the most unforgettable. They sat at a
table and chat and drank. While drinking women would
come in and said 'hello' or 'hi' to the people. When a
girl said 'HI' , Bill and his friend responded with 'HI'
too. The women went to sit somewhere else. Wow the
Japanese women were so wonderful.
The
chat and drink went on till almost midnight. They called
for the bill. When the bill came everyone got a shock of
his life. They never drink that much ( I don't remember
how much). They don't have that much, combined all the
members. One of them got mad, refusing to pay and a
fight almost broke out.
The
police came. It was explained that the bill included
what the women drank. "Which women ? " They were the
women Bill and company responded with the 'HI'. The
manager gave the discount. But their pockets went empty.
Bill was a jovial ham. I just love to hear his tales and
experience. I met him when I went to Muar and he took me
for the delicious sea food. He passed away quite recent
and once again the old and fun ham left us for the next
world.
22/06/2013 - Abdul Rahman Raof |
MY
ARGUMENT WITH 9M2AV
9M2AV, Avatar Singh, would come on the air a little
late, after
coming back from work. I
don't exactly remember who his radio
buddies were. He
knew a lot and he had enormous knowledge of things.
One
day we came to discuss man's landing on the moon. It was
one of the greatest achievement of mankind. I said we
can't inhabit on
that planet because it was airless. Avatar rebutted my
statement saying there was air on the moon, otherwise
the rocket cannot fire to gain pressure.
I
explained about Newton principal of motion, that every
action is followed by an opposite reaction, without
other factor to push forward an object.
He
did not agree with me and formed a negative thought on
me.
Only recently when 9M2FX visited Alor Setar he mentioned
about that argument. I said I will not forget it. It was
not about a quarrel but about a knowledge many people
are not aware of.
We
live in the modern period, Newton was a man in the past.
Could those people be right about their theory ?
Copernicus was the man of the past too. What made him
able to draw the new idea on our solar system ?
All
in all, Avatar made the band merry and cheerful. I
knew of his sufferings and death after his demise.
22/06/2013 - Abdul Rahman Raof |
A JOTA
DAY
I REMEMBERED
There were not many hams way back before the '80s
because it was hard to be one.
The exam was
of essay type and in English. If it was an objective in
design then even those illiterate in English could get
some marks, or even
surpassed the 50% level. That was one stumbling block.
Secondly there was a Morse code to pass.
Till the '90s I think
I was the only ham in my town. But amateur radio had
been known by the
scouts long before
I obtain my license. There was the anual activity known
as JOTA ( Jamboree on the air). The Boy Scout
association from Jitra presented me with
a letter
requesting
a JOTA station to
be run at SM Jenan.
One of the active
scout teachers was Cikgu Khalid who had passed away a
long time ago. I accepted the request but I needed to
seek permission from the Jabatan Telecom Kuala Lumpur.
Because of
insufficient time I just wrote in informing the
authority that I would be running a JOTA station at SM
Jenan on a certain date using Yaesu FT101B and a Diapole
antenna. A day before JOTA we set up a station. The boy
scout brought a bamboo about 35 - 40 feet long, dug the
hole for the bamboo.
In
those days the band was good. With that height all
signals band the S-meter.
On the first day of
the JOTA the officers from local Jabatan Telekom visited
our station saying they dropped by to look at the scout
activity. They did not identify themselves. I had a
haunch they were from the 'tuck shop' and asked whether
they were from the department. The reply was affirmative
and they glanced trough my log book.
I briefed the scouts
the SOP and warned of strict observation
of the law; no talking
nonsense. The way
they run the stations
was excellent. They were
doing very well. I was there until past
midnight. When I left the station for home I brought
back the microphone with me. With my ICF5900 I continued
to monitor from my home, in case some clever guys used
some clever
methods to transmit. I gave a stern warning of 'NO
TRANSMISSION' when I was away.
I provided my service
almost every other year at the same
location, doing
the same procedure. Thinking back, I am surprise that
the telecom people made themselves available on the
spots all along those years. I don't remember when I
stopped.
am
glad many of those scouts are license hams today. It is
a pity Cikgu Khalid who was good in CW did not live long
enough to see the progress of amateur radio.
21/06/2013 - Abdul Rahman Raof |
FLY
AN AIRPLANE BY 9M2GV
Two things from 9M2GV, Ibrahim Oxford, that I will
always remember. The first was the saying 'Man, kalau
tak campak jala mana nak dapat ikannya' ( if you don't
cast the net you won't get a fish). This is a meaningful
saying that I put into practice and treasured most. If
we are passive and doing nothing we can be sure we won't
achieve anything. An effort may or may not bear fruit
but there is a chance of success.
9M2GV used to fly a small plane. He told me that to fly
from Ipoh to Kuala Lumpur is not just aim the head at
Kuala Lumpur and let the rudder brought you there. A
pilot needs to know the wind direction and it's
strength. If there is a wind blowing northeast to
southwest you have to fly to a point east from Kuala
Lumpur. The wind factor will push the plane to the city.
My contact with 9M2GV who was in Jasin Melaka was almost
daily. There were plenty of stories he loved to tell. I
told little due to my lack of experience and knowledge
compared to him.
Those were the days without computer. I have not met him
and I don't know how he looked like.
I did not know he passed away in as much as I did not
know 9M2DW and 9M2EG passed away. I left ham radio
completely for many a year. Each person had his own
speciality and uniq story to tell.
Many years later, in 2005, I came to know that 9M2DU is
the son of 9M2GV. I contacted Maidin on 16 occasions but
his signal strength was not as strong as 9M2GV.
21/06/2013 - Abdul Rahman Raof |
JUST
STAY
AWAY
The
enjoyable days of SWLing are over. Occasionally I would
search for the CW stations and would park myself
whenever there is a CW rag chew, to ensure of rust
dissipation from my ageing mind. It was an exercise for
mental alertness.
I
don't make a point to monitor communications which I
considered as junks. Neither do I visit blogs which
provide no benefit. Even at the quick scanning of the
band I heard the wrong usage of Q-codes. My contention
that the decline of ethics and manners stands. The most
painful I had ever heard on HF was when a ham follow the
procedures of the Indonesian pirate 'di copy di
monitor..'
I
stay away from those wise hams. One other old ham I
talked to expressed similar views.
I
have stopped going above 7.1 mhz because I don't want to
know which Malaysians are still going there in spite of
the band by the authority. Not knowing who they are will
lighten my mind a lot, otherwise it would create a wild
perception on those innocent people.
It
is the work of the MCMC to monitor the band and to
overseer the ethical conduct. They are paid to do the
job and let them do them well.
The
problem with people is they like to come to your place.
A few deliberately causing havoc, making noise, playing
back the recording when hams communicate and even passed
remarks.
Any
filth on the band is a concern of every ham. Someone
could retaliate and causing disturbances on national
link repeaters on end. There is always a smart way to
hit back. So far reasons still rule. Continued havoc
will certainly killed the joy of this hobby.
A
few hams decide to stay away from the radio, not only
from the frequencies used by certain sectors of hams. I
was about to that too when there was a talk that CW was
going to be abolished. Cutting away ham radio from our
lives is just like shaking away drug addiction. I have
left ham radio before and if I do it again it won't be a
difficult task to do.
In
the meantime my choice is to stay away from a certain
band to avoid pain in the ears.
20/06/2013 - Abdul
Rahman Raof
|
WHAT
HAPPEN TO PROTON SV ?
Rafizi and PR promised a cheaper car by reducing the
ever high import tax. UMNO said it was UMNO's idea to
bring the car price down. High quality and standard car
are much more cheaper in Great Britain and USA.
If UMNO claims it was the Malays who gave a strong
support to BN then it was them who believed the promises
of PM Najib. Now that BN has another five years, it has
to prove to the rakyat that the promise will be
fulfilled. First, it announced car makers will reduce
the price, which te foreign car makers denied. Then it
pressured the new owner of Proton to announced the
reduced price.
It did. Proton took out all the accessories and
announced Proton SV price at RM33800.
I went to Proton this afternoon to see what was all
about the new Proton. There were many people with
salesmen attending to them. One salesman handed me a
brochure of Saga FLX saying the Saga SV is Saga FLX.
Changing FLX with SV pendant and taking away the
accessories is what actually happen to SV.
That was what BN's promised was all about.
I remember buying Saga a few years back from a Chinese
salesman. He gave me futher discount of RM500, which I
learned later cut from his commission. And my last Viva
was also reduced RM500 which I don't know from what
reason, making my Viva less than RM25K.
Don't believe me per se. Try to visit any Proton outlet
and find out more. May be Syed Mokhtar can change his
mind to help UMNO to keep the promise made.
If UMNO cheats again, it is cheating it's own members.
Wat Zahid gave to his supporters would not even enough
for part of the accessories. Since they love Rosmah that
much then serve them right. Further price hike in other
goods and commodities and services would be felt when
they go to supermarket , groceries and wet markets.
But for RM250 a month you can afford to buy it.
20/06/2013 |
EFFICIENCY
AND
TIDAK
APA
ATTITUDE
At
one time there was a rigorous discussion on the Tidak
Apa Attitude and today it seems to be totally
disappeared. This attitude prevalent among the Malays
made UMNO ran wild blaming the other races for ineptness
and the problems faced by the Malays today. The latest
that we heard was about foreign hawkers hawking and
doing businesses in Malaysia. The number of foreigners
residing here are alarming and a big number was given
citizenship. There are Indonesians, Filipinos,
Bangladeshis, Chinese and the Indians.
Such an attitude coupled with corruption are posing
greater problems. One has to know the Indo China's
history to understand how serious could the result be.
The Cambodian natives, angered by the encroaching
foreigners took a violent action against the Vietnamese
refugees. What has been happening in Malaysia is crazy
and mad, treacherous of the highest order. Who get the
money and who made the policy ? Who just say 'never
mind' ?
Secondly the crime and drug menace never show any
decline. Ineffectiveness will lead to suspicion of the
possible involvement of the relevant officers. When big
money rolled in and life is made easier, why should ones
find problems. You can't fight them , join them. If the
suspicion is false the failure might be due to something
else, either inefficiency, tidak apa attitude or focus on
protecting rogue politicians.
Thirdly government officers are promoted not really base
on merit but on friendships or just at will. You need to
tow the line even how precarious it is. You can't
question policies nor give the rebuttal opinions. An
clerk who was bad in numbers and accounts was promoted
to chief clerk because of the long time friend. How
could a school Principal be good when he cut down trees
and made computers his enemy ? You may ask whether such
a person exist. The answer is YES.
The most serious thing
is the pampering of our society like giving free money
without service, easy certificates and degrees, low
quality educational curriculum. The young need to be
trained to face hardship and survival skill. The money
given to kids must be exchanged with work done at home.
But we are doing the opposite; kids were allowed to
drive without license, expensive motorbikes given as a
transport to school, iPad and iPhone has become like a
cheap toy.
When these people grew
up and join the work force they will drag the nation
down, making it more corrupt and more inefficient and
ineffective.
20/06/2013 |
GOING MOBILE
Mobile on HF ? Never, because I simply refused to invest
on the antenna. My mobile is confined to VHF, merely on
monitoring mode, listening to the lorry drivers on trunk
radio.
Whenever I felt like going mobile I would bring out the
rig to the car. At the bottom of the radio I attached a
strap which I called an 'active strap'. And there is a
'passive strap' on the front board of my Kancil. Putting
my Yaesu FR7900 on the board, the straps gave a strong
bond. Hence there was no special bracket or tray, easy
placing and removing. Permanent harness may be not to
the advantage.
Peel to
remove the rig
The antenna is the mag-mount attached near the rear end
of the car roof.
It has been more than 5 month the rig stayed foot in my
shack.
HF mobile is more challenging. First the antenna has to
be fixed well, at the right place and with a correct
mounting to get a good ground, unlike the 2 meter plug
and go. Secondly we may experienced complaints of our
weak signal. But during the good band condition anything
goes. Europe may give us 59 plus report.
In the yesteryears it took a damn preparation to go HF
mobile. We have to charge a battery for the huge rig
like FT101, decide where to put the rig and the battery.
The modern rig is 10 to 20 time smaller, lighter and
does not require a separate battery.
New hams should seek the experience and enjoy the mobile
fun.
20/06/2013 - Abdul Rahman Raof |
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